


Jakku Java

by Copper_Nails (Her_Madjesty)



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-16 03:52:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 59,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5812783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Her_Madjesty/pseuds/Copper_Nails
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s a shop on 77th street identified only by a hand painted sign as ‘Jakku Java’. It’s old, but not too old: a piece of the city that’s always been there. Rey swears up and down that the shop breathes whenever she steps inside; that’s one of the reasons she’d wanted to buy it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! I hope you like what I've got for you. I like this story well enough, most days. Brief notes that will be applicable later: three asterisks (***) indicate a change in POV. One asterisk (*) indicates a time lapse. I'm pretty sure this won't be relevant in this chapter, but it'll come up later. Thanks for stopping by and let me know what you think! *passes out coffee mugs at the trashcan party*
> 
> ****Edit (from post-production): There are notes on this later in the story, but it'll be good to include this here, as well. I've written BB8 (here named otherwise) as a nonbinary character and have used "they/them" pronouns in order to address them.****

There’s a shop on 77th street identified only by a hand painted sign as ‘Jakku Java’. It’s old, but not too old: a piece of the city that’s always been there. Rey Dameron swears up and down that the shop breathes whenever she steps inside; that’s one of the reasons she’d wanted to buy it.

The Dameron siblings had been humming on the edges of the city for years before they opened the shop. It was in Rey’s need to carve out a place for themselves that she gotten the idea. Her brother, Poe, with his mad-dash optimism and blinding smile, had shrugged and agreed that they should at least give it a go.

Two months later, the dark brown interior and the ancient muddled kitchen belongs to them.

Their first few weeks had been a struggle. It was just the two of them, living in each other’s pockets as they redecorated and made the shop their own. Opening day had seen a surprising rush of people come in; Jakku Java wasn’t out of the way, exactly, but she hadn’t thought it to be near the morning commutes. Rey found herself on her feet for most of her shift, that first day, with Poe running alongside her. They’d left happy but dog-tired.

It was after three days of this that they decided to find help. Thus came Maz.

Maz, a woman of age and terrible wit, had been lingering in the shop, inspecting their decorations and drinks with a keen eye. She’d watched the siblings wear themselves to the bone and unceremoniously adopted them upon her hiring. She took her place in Jakku’s kitchen and remained there, a queen in every right. Both Damerons loved her for it.

Even with Maz, however, they struggled to meet demand. Two weeks in, post-Maz, Poe had thrown himself at Rey’s feet and suggested (read: begged) that they hire another hand. Rey was hesitant, tight with her money and her trust. It had taken two more days of begging before she relented. The moment she did, Poe had run off and written the wanted ad himself. A reluctant Rey had sent it out to the local paper and posted it online, then waited for applications to come in.

The responses were adequate. She scheduled all the interviews for a rainy Tuesday morning in the middle of October and waited.

Midmorning the day of, she’s behind the counter, eyeing the clock with dread.

The bells they’ve secured above the door chime. Rey jumps and sees a young woman approaching her, a smile lighting up her face.

“Welcome to Jakku Java,” she says with a smile of her own. “What can I get you today?”

The woman squints up at the chalkboard menu and hesitates, one finger tapping her pink lips. “I’d like a large coffee, milk but no sugar, please. And your number, if I can get it.”

Rey’s already bent down to retrieve a cup and nearly misses the last bit. She flushes a bright pink and locks her gaze on the counter.

“The coffee I can get you,” she says. “But I’m – I’m not exactly looking for a relationship right now. I’m sorry?”

The woman doesn’t lose her smile, only shrugs. “That’s a shame. You’ve got a lovely face.”

Rey feels her flush getting worse. She takes the woman’s name – Jessika – and sets her up with her coffee. Jessika blows her a kiss before she leaves the shop; Rey does not hide her face. Even though she wants to.

“‘Not looking for a relationship’, are you?” a voice says from behind her. Rey turns to find her brother smirking in the kitchen doorway.

“I’m not,” she says, arms crossed.

“I know, I know,” Poe says, pushing off the wall. “She was pretty, though. You could’ve gone on a date with her, gotten a free meal out of it.”

“I don’t want to give anyone the wrong impression.” There’s a feeling like guilt pricking at her heart, but Rey shoves it down without mercy. She has no time for girlfriends, or boyfriends, for that matter. The shop is her life; it breathes around her like a being of its own. She loves it in a way she never imagined she could.

She hears Poe sigh and tries not to roll her eyes. He jumps up and sits, swinging his legs. “When does your first interview come in?”

Rey glances at the clock. “Fifteen minutes from now. Assuming they’re actually on time.”

“Come now, have some faith.” Poe’s face, Rey decides, rarely lacks a smile. The one he’s giving her right now is one part genuine happiness and another part smug. She pushes him off the counter and manhandles him back into the kitchen, where Maz is busy drizzling glaze over a loaf of pumpkin bread. Rey stares at it longingly before going back to the front.

The first applicant arrives, blessedly, right when scheduled. Rey steps out from behind the counter and lets Poe take over. How hard can a couple of interviews be, really? She’ll be done in no time.  

Five applicants and two and a half hours later, she finds that she’s sorely mistaken.

Poe comes to join her as her latest applicant slinks from the shop. Rey waits until they’re out of sight before dropping her head to the table.

“It’s alright,” Poe says, rubbing circles into her back. “They can’t have been all bad so far, can they?”

“I don’t like any of them,” Rey mutters into her sleeves. “They’re not terrible, no, but there’s not a single one I’d want to spend my time working with.”

“Poor dear.” She feels Poe’s chuckle more than she hears it. “You’ll find someone, I know you will. How many do you have left?”

Rey lifts her head and peeks at the list tucked under her arm. “Two. One in ten minutes.”

“You’ll be fine.” Poe presses a kiss to her cheek. “Don’t be too hard on them, okay? I know you want the best for the shop, but –”

“A critical eye is not always a good one,” Rey recites. She sends him away and tries to ignore the throbbing pain in her temples. If only it were that easy. She sighs and wonders if another cup of tea will push her through these last few people. It can’t hurt, she decides, rising to her feet.

She’s behind the counter arguing over tea brands when the bells ring. Rey looks up and sees a young man standing awkwardly in the doorway.  

 “Hello,” he says, with a small wave. “I’m here for an interview?”

She can see Poe’s jaw hit the floor. The man’s not unattractive, not at all: he’s got short cut hair and bright, laughing eyes; dark wash jeans and a white t-shirt that does wonders for his skin. Rey tilts her head, considering, then motions him towards the table. “I’ll be with you in just a minute.”

She gathers up her tea and meets Poe’s eye. Her brother looks hopeful, the smile on his face tilting towards crazed.

“I’m not hiring him just because you’re hot for him,” Rey mutters.

Her interviewee shuffles his feet nervously as she approaches. Rey’s surprised by the shock of affection she feels. “What’s your name?” she asks, trying to keep her voice gentle.

“Finn,” The smile the man gives her is dazzling. “Finn Trooper.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Trooper.”

“Please,” the man laughs, and Rey actually _hears_ her brother moan. “Call me Finn.”

“Finn.” Rey nods, and the interview begins in earnest.

Finn is a smart man, and a funny one, at that. Rey ends up ignoring most of her pre-written questions in favor of her own spur-of-the-moment ones, and even then, she’s only half-paying attention. Finn’s the most respectable sort she’s seen all day; he’s had the job since he walked through the door. Regardless of her brother’s affections.

The thought of her brother makes her glance over her shoulder. He’s half-leaning over the counter, just as she suspected. She wonders how much effort it’s taking to keep him where he is; she knows that, if she offered, he’d come and interview Finn himself. She’d let him, really, if she didn’t think the interview would derail itself even further than it already has.

Even with her certainty, she glances over Finn’s résumé when he hands it to her. “Impressive.” She says, before her eyes catch on a line.

“You used to work for Astrobase Industries?”

Astrobase Industries is the money-maker of the city and one of the most prosperous companies Rey has ever heard of. They’re part weapons maker, part car dealership: like General Motors with a side helping of long range torpedoes. On one hand, they employee over half the city, which does wonders for the economy. On the other, they’re war mongers, thriving off destruction. Rey’s heard the company called ‘Star Killer’ by those less fond of it; even by some of its own employees.

She’s not fond of it, herself, but she doesn’t want to make a scene. What good would it do, anyway? She has her coffee shop and her small family of employees; there’s no need for her to get up on her soapbox.

“Yeah, I did,” Finn says. He looks almost sheepish. “I worked in security for a little while, but it wasn’t a good fit for me.”

“I understand,” Rey says. She passes Finn’s résumé back to him and offers him her most winning smile. “Well, Finn, you’re an impressive applicant. I’d be happy to have you on my team.” If she glances over her shoulder and sees Poe beaming, well, it’s not her fault that he’s not subtle.

“Really?” Finn’s face splits into a grin. “That’s awesome! Are you sure, though? Because that was really quick.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure,” Rey nods. Not only is Finn impressive, but he’s getting her out of her last interview. “I’ll give you a list of the necessary documentation to bring in so we can get you signed on to the payroll. In the meantime, we’ll start your training this Thursday, if you’re available at the time.”

“I definitely am.” The two of them stand in unison. Finn reaches forward and clasps Rey’s hand in a tight shake. “Thank you so much for this; I can’t tell you how much it means to me. I won’t disappoint you!”

“I know you won’t.” Rey hesitates, then squeezes Finn’s hand back. Then she lets it go and looks over her shoulder. “Poe? Would you get the documentation list out of the office, please?”

Her brother shakes himself, lopsided smile still in place. “Yeah, sure!” He says, focusing his attention on Finn. “Give me just a second!” He disappears into the back in less than a moment, his footsteps echoing as he goes.

“Poe is my brother.” Rey tells Finn, who’s come to stand at her side. “He’s a bit...enthusiastic.”

“Seems like a fun guy.”

Rey does her best not to snort and makes her way behind the counter. Poe nearly runs her over in his haste to get to Finn and offers her an apologetic shrug. Rey watches them for a moment, then directs her attention elsewhere. She slips into the back the moment Poe starts steering the conversation away from work, not wanting to intrude on her brother’s efforts.

Maz has settled herself in a chair by the stove, her nose buried in a book. “That was a mistake, dear.” She says, without looking up. “Now your useless sack of a brother will never get anything done.”

Rey laughs and peeks into the oven. She catches a whiff of warm pumpkin cookies before Maz shoos her away, a fond smile on her face.

Poe’s returned to the counter by the time she emerges. Rey glances around to find that Finn is long gone.

“I like him,” Poe declares, arms crossed over his chest.

“I’m shocked,” Rey deadpans. She moves beside him and leans against the counter, closing her eyes against the world. “But I’m glad you do. Keep the flirting to a minimum, though, at least for the first week or so? We don’t want to get sued for sexual harassment.”

“Finn wouldn’t sue us.” Poe says. “And I do not harass! I woo. I am a passionate woo-er of pretty men and women, unlike _somebody_ here.”

Rey swats at his chest and hears a resounding ‘smack’. Poe swings his apron strings at her in return. Rey doesn’t have to open her eyes to know that the both of them are smiling.

Morning fades into afternoon. They get a small rush over lunch hour; Maz’s pumpkin cookies sell like hotcakes. Rey takes a moment for herself in the kitchen after the rush is over and thanks whatever force is listening that she was able to open the shop in the fall; nostalgia runs heavy in the fall, and it’ll do their bank account favors.

She has Maz leave around two and stick around herself until after five. Poe is practically pushing her out the door by then; she laughs as she walks out and promises to see him at home. Then she wanders, letting the cool air and the purple-orange sky soothe her soul.

The city isn’t bustling, exactly, but she’s nowhere near alone as she walks down the street. Kids chase each other up and down the sidewalk; the occasional dog walker passes her by; couples young and old hold hands on their way out to dinner, laughing as they go. Rey smiles fondly at them all.

Poe has often told her that she has a strange tendency to attach herself to large, inanimate objects instead of the people around her. She can’t argue this, seeing how attached she is to both the shop and the city, but she doesn’t find it strange. The city and the shop, both, are teeming with history and life. She sees strangers every day who she will never see again, strangers with lives as vibrant as hers. It makes her sad, but happy all at once.

She’s half smiling, lost in thought, when she bumps into a stranger with a back like a brick wall. She winces and rubs her nose (it barely comes up to the stranger’s shoulders) before backing up a step.

“Sorry about that.”

The stranger – a man – glances over his shoulder at her. He’s tall, intimidatingly tall, and wearing a frankly obscene amount of black. Rey squints up at his face and sees what she thinks is eyeliner etched in thin lines around his eyes. His cellphone glows in the oncoming twilight.

“Watch where you’re going.” He bites. Rey’s taken aback by his rudeness at once, but his voice shakes her to her core; she’s never heard someone sound so condescendingly soft. “You could have bumped into someone with a far worse temper than my own.”

Perhaps some benevolent god blessed him with a lovely voice to make up for his manners. Rey crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow. “Right,” she says, voice flat. “I’ll keep that in mind. Have a good night, then.”

She walks around the man without looking back, her jaw tight, and doesn’t breathe properly until she’s made it around the corner. What an unmitigated _ass._

She goes straight home after that, glancing over her shoulder as she does. The apartment she and Poe share isn’t far from the shop, but her walk makes the journey back longer. The sun’s spinning purple-blue sugar floss over the horizon by the time she fits her key into their worn old door.

Weekday evenings go like this:

Poe comes home to find Rey asleep on the couch, their television playing nonsense in the background. He makes dinner as quietly as he can and wakes her once its finished, then they sit on the couch together, channel surfing until something catches their interest. Rey does the dishes once dinner’s gone, then goes off to bed; Poe stays up for another hour or so before going off himself.

This is their life. Rey curls up beneath her blanket each night and sighs, bone weary but content. She lets her dreams carry her off, resting so she can wake in the morning and live it all over again. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Throwing two out there at once, just so everything makes sense. It's terribly intimidating to post fic. Why do we do this to ourselves?

Kylo Ren sits behind a large mahogany desk, his chair facing a window. His fingers are laced together, his thumbs pressed against his chin; he is, for all the world, a picture of composure.

The man on the other side of his desk knows otherwise. Known only as Mr. Pio, Kylo Ren’s fourth personal assistant in two years stutters over his words.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t seem to find this month’s preliminary numbers report anywhere.”

Kylo Ren says nothing. His fingers tighten against one another, imperceptible to the naked eye.

Mr. Pio continues to ramble. “I’ve look through all of our accounts, talked to everyone who may know where they may be, but no one’s seen them! Or if they have, they’re not telling me, which really is a problem all on its own –”

 The chair turns. Kylo takes a great amount of pleasure in seeing the last of the color drain from Mr. Pio’s face. “The numbers have disappeared, then?” he says, voice curling around the words.

Mr. Pio nods his head, rendered mute in his fear.

The seventh floor office explodes.

Three minutes later, Mr. Pio is seen running from Astrobase Industries, his golden hair flapping in the wind and his lightbulb eyes wide with terror.

Kylo’s office is now a mess of papers and broken pens. His chair has been upended and is now sitting upside down, its wheels spinning aimlessly. He’s breathing hard, chest heaving, but he’s feeling much better than he did a moment ago.

There are many who call Kylo Ren unnecessarily dramatic. If caught on a good day, the man will agree (for all his flaws, he prides himself in being self-aware.) If caught on a bad day, he’ll only prove the speaker correct.

He collects his papers and himself, slowing his breathing until his head is clear. This month’s preliminary report was delivered to Mr. Pio yesterday by one Mr. Windu. Kylo had plucked it from the man’s desk when he wasn’t looking and made a copy of his own, then returned it to his PA’s desk. He may have had a hand in its brief disappearance, but Pio was responsible for its (inevitable) loss.  Incompetence is not something Kylo Ren takes lightly. He rights his chair and collapses into it, then calls Rebecca Phasma in HR.

“I suppose you’ll be explaining why Mr. Pio dropped all of his things in my office a few minutes ago?” The CHRO is speaking before he gets a chance.

“He was the same as all the others,” Kylo snarls. “Put out another ad, and this time make sure to specify ‘adequate eyesight’ in the job requirements.”

“Really, Kylo,” Phasma scolds. “I’m not sure if I should chastise you or thank you. You certainly know how to keep me in a job.”

Kylo hangs up the phone without saying goodbye.

He glances at the clock. It’s hardly two in the afternoon; he has a full three hours before he can leave and go home. Kylo rests his head on his desk and groans.

He started working with Astrobase a good seven years ago, fresh out of grad school and cocky as could be. He’d walked into Astrobase’s main office without an appointment and demanded to speak with CEO Snoke, only to be thrown out on his ass. This would have deterred a more level-headed soul; for Kylo, it made obtaining a job a game. So he came back the next day, and the next, until the secretary knew his name and he was a little too familiar with Astrobase’s security guards.

Where this behavior would’ve gotten any other applicant blacklisted, Kylo’s determination – perhaps better called ‘pigheadedness’ – seemed to make an impression. When he finally relented, Snoke interviewed the boy himself, then took him on as his personal assistant. Kylo was promoted within the year and continued to climb higher, until he had an office to rival Snoke’s and a personal assistant of his own.

On one hand, he likes to think that his hard work got him the job. On the other, he knows there are other factors involved, his heritage being the most important. His grandfather had worked alongside Snoke some decades ago, building Astrobase from the ground up. His picture hung in Snoke’s office: a foreboding image of a man who’s face Kylo could never quite remember.

There had been a deviance in the family after his grandfather had died. His mother, instead of working with Astrobase, had struck out on her own and started a series of nonprofits that now flowered throughout the city (even though she herself did not live anywhere nearby.) Kylo had been in line to inherit her position. His connection with them at all allowed for a slight upturn in Astrobase’s grizzly reputation, even if it resulted in some familial tension.

There was also, however, Snoke’s personal agenda to consider.

Walter Snoke is a hard man to read on the best of days. Kylo, who has been on the receiving end of his commands for years, knows as much about him as incoming employees do. Snoke, he figures, is an enigma and likes to remain that way; like a spider, or a snake, he keeps to the dark, manipulating the world around him while rarely being seen. He makes Kylo feel rather small, even if Kylo will never admit it.

In the back of his mind, though, he knows that he’s only CFO because Snoke wants him to be. 

Kylo pulls his head from his desk and proceeds to throw himself at his work. The issue of last month’s numbers out of the way, he begins to trace the path of this month’s. They’re not looking particularly good; Astrobase is losing money, and Snoke will not be pleased. Kylo tries to skew things where he can: they having dealings with Thrawn Military Base that will improve their sales dramatically, and a connection with Daala that will sweeten the deal. By the time he’s done working, things look – well, not good, but less terrible. He emails the preliminary report to Snoke, then packs up his things.

He loves his job, he really does. 

He considers joining Phasma and William Hux (COO) for drinks at a local bar, but decides against it; he’s had enough of people for today. Going home seems like his best idea ever; he can meditate, order a pizza, watch bad television, and pet his dog before going to bed and sleeping for the rest of his life. For a Tuesday night, it doesn’t sound so bad.

He used to think it was his introversion that kept him from making friends. Now he knows better. He still doesn’t care.

He’s halfway home when his cellphone rings.

“Hello?”

“Kylo, buddy!” the voice on the other end sings. “Where are you?”

“I’m going home, Erudo.” Kylo replies. The setting sun stings in his eyes; he winces but keeps walking.

“Already? Man, the night’s hardly started!”

“Perhaps for you,” Kylo says. “How long have you been out of the office?”

“Bah, you know me.” He can hear the man winking at him. “I leave at three if I can manage it. Perks of being a chief officer, you know!”

“Indeed.” Kylo stops at the corner and waits for the light to change. He clenches his teeth as Erudo prattles on; he gives the man two more minutes before he hangs up on him and turns off his phone.

Then something small smacks him in the back. Kylo glances over his shoulder to see a woman rubbing her nose and backing away from him.

“Sorry about that.” Her voice, cutting through Erudo’s nonsense, is a welcome relief. Kylo stares: she’s a lovely little thing, brown hair tied in three small buns behind her head and eyes like honey on a hot day.

“Watch where you’re going,” his traitorous mouth says. “You could have bumped into someone with a far worse temper than my own.”

He regrets the words the moment they drop from his mouth. The woman looks distinctly unimpressed. Kylo feels himself wither inside; damn Erudo, and Pio, and whatever other force is responsible for running this _blasted day_.

“Right,” the woman says, her voice gone flat. “I’ll keep that in mind. Have a good night.”

The light changes. Kylo practically throws himself across the street in an attempt to escape. He refuses to over his shoulder until he’s at least two blocks away; his long legs carrying him the distance in no time at all. When he does look back, the woman’s long gone. Kylo exhales a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.

There’s an incessant chirping by his ear; Erudo is still talking on the other end of the phone. Kylo rolls his eyes and ends the call.

The rest of his walk is filled with an analysis of those two sentences alongside a steady stream of self-deprecating angst. His arrival at his apartment door brings him to this conclusion: while, yes, he was a _little_ over the top and could have taken it down a notch, he hadn’t yelled at the woman, nor had anyone been hurt, so things weren’t as bad as they could have been. He’d even told her the truth, he reasons, by mentioning his temper. Things were fine. He doesn’t have to be embarrassed.

His apartment door slides open. Kylo closes it behind him and let the little barking beast he calls a dog draw his attention away from himself.

“Hello, Darth,” he says, kneeling down to pat the bull terrier on the head. “Did you have a good day without me?”

Darth barks and runs circles around his master, tongue lolling out of his mouth. Kylo chuckles and strides into the kitchen, where an empty dog food bowl sits ready for him to fill.

Weekday evenings go like this:

He feeds Darth, then orders a pizza for himself. He throws himself down on his long couch and pulls his computer into his lap, scrolling through Twitter until the food arrives. He eats in front of the television with Darth circling his feet, eating the crumbs that spill through his fingers. If it’s been a bad day, he’ll be up until four in the morning; if it’s been a good one, he’ll be in bed by two.

It’s going on three by the time he looks up from the television. Kylo frowns and switches off the program before dragging himself to bed.

When he wakes in the morning, there’s a missed call from his mother waiting on his phone. Kylo frowns, considering. Then Darth jumps onto the bed, and he has the chase the dog from the room. The message goes unheard.

He walks to the office again, awake early enough that he has time to spare. Phasma’s waiting for him when he arrives, settled into his office chair like she belongs there.

“Good morning, sunshine,” she says. “You look as cheerful as ever.”

“What do you want, Phasma?” Kylo asks, closing the door behind him.

Phasma shrugs. “You have a line-up of potential new personal assistants to look at today,” she says. “And since you wanted me to make sure they’re _competent_ enough to handle your needs, I’m taking you to the interviews with me.”

Kylo tries not to groan and fails. “Yeah, that’s not happening. Snoke’s getting last month’s numbers today; I’ll be called into his office by noon to get the reaming of my life.”

“And you’ll enjoy every minute of it, you sadist.” Phasma’s smile is all shark teeth. “You’re coming with me to the interviews. I’m determined to find you an assistant who’ll last longer than two weeks.”

“Right.” Kylo rolls his eyes. “Good luck with that.”

Phasma gives him the room number and time of the first interview, then swans out of his office. Kylo collapses at his desk and runs a hand through his hair. He has an hour before he needs to go; enough time to start working up solutions to last month’s failures. He pages one of his underlings and has them schedule a meeting with the Tatooine production managers before diving into his inbox.

*

The interviews are going poorly. Kylo stands, glaring in a corner, as Phasma asks the same questions to a dozen or more applicants. He glances at the clock between interviews; he’s been in this room for _two hours_ and no one has been worth his time. He says as much to Phasma, who only rolls her eyes.

“It’s not their fault that you’re a drama queen, Kylo,” she says. “There are two more to do. If neither of them suit your needs, I’ll have _you_ put out the next ad for an assistant.” She smirks. “This is what you get when you develop a reputation as bad as yours.”

Kylo waits until she’s turned around to flick her off. The next applicant walks through the door; Kylo straightens up and does his best to pay attention.

“Ah, hello.” Phasma gives her best approximation of a smile. “I’m Rebecca Phasma; you must be –”

“Blake. Blake Bingley,” the applicant says. They stick out their hand; Phasma shakes it with delicate courtesy.

“Bingley, yes. It says on your application that you were previously with our partners at Thrawn Military?”

The interview goes as well as it can. Kylo even asks a few of the questions himself, which results in startled looks from Phasma and tentative curiosity from Bingley. When the interview comes to an end Phasma dismisses Bingley to the room next door, delaying the final applicant to look pointedly at Kylo.

“What?”

“You’re hiring that one.”

“And why am I hiring that one?” Kylo sighs. “They’re smart, obviously, but I’m not sure I can deal with someone who can tell jokes before nine in the morning.”

“You need humor in your life.” Phasma rolls her eyes. “I like them; they can deal with your…you-ness. All of the others just stared at you like you were going to eat them.”

“I wasn’t going to eat them,” Kylo mutters. “Maybe dismember them, but not eat them.”

Phasma rolls her eyes again and groans. “You’re hiring Bingley. Go tell them the good news; I’ll get rid of the last applicant.”

Kylo lets Phasma leave the room first, taking his sweet time before he wanders over the Bingley’s room. The applicant is sitting on the room’s empty desk, fiddling with their navy blue tie. They leap down when Kylo walks into the room.

“Congratulations, Bingley.” Kylo musters a thin smile. “I’d like to invite you to be my new personal assistant.”

“I’d be happy to be.” Bingley smiles, then takes Kylo’s hand in theirs. Kylo resists the urge to the lunge backwards and shakes his new PA’s hand.

“I’m glad,” he says. “Now: go to Phasma’s office, she’ll have some paperwork for you to fill out there. My office is on the seventh floor; report there once you’re done.”

“Yes, sir!” Bingley skids from the office, a confused smile on their face.

Kylo waits until they’re out of sight to drop his smile. He scowls all the way back up to his office and slams the door behind him before burying himself in paperwork.

There’s a knock on his door a few hours later. Kylo braces himself as he goes to answer it, and for good reason: Snoke’s PA is waiting for him on the other side.

“Ree.”

“Kylo.” The woman offers him the barest of smiles. “Mr. Snoke would like to see you in his office.”

“Of course he would.” Kylo closes the door behind him and makes his way down the hall. Ree, for all her dark intimidation, is significantly shorter than him; she struggles to keep up.

“It’s about the numbers, isn’t it?” Kylo asks as they step onto the elevator.

“I wasn’t informed one way or the other,” Ree says, her hands tucked neatly behind her back.

Kylo closes his eyes and exhales through his nose. The elevator climbs until they’re at the top; he steps aside and lets Ree lead him forward.

Hux is here as well, and that’s a surprise. He falls into step beside Kylo, his face a grim mask.

“Why are you here?”

Ree glances over her shoulder to glare at them. They both fall silent as she knocks on Snoke’s door. It slides open, and she ushers them inside.

The office is dark save for a few streams of light coming in through the window blinds. Snoke sits behind the largest desk Kylo has ever seen, a cigarette in his mouth and knobbly hands gripping the armrests of his wheelchair. Ree closes the office door behind them, muttering something incoherent under her breath.

The three men stand in silence until Snoke takes the cigarette from his mouth and speaks.

“Gentlemen,” he says, his voice raspy. “I suppose you have some inkling as to why I’ve called you here today.”

“Last month’s numbers,” Kylo says, stepping forward. “They were unsatisfactory.”

“That’s part of it,” Snoke wheezes. “And we’ll have a longer discussion about that later this week. But no, boy. We’re here –” he’s interrupted by a wracking cough. Hux walks past Kylo to offer the CEO a crisp white handkerchief. Snoke takes it and wipes his face.

“Thank you, Hux,” he says, passing the handkerchief back. “We’re here to discuss the issue of my retirement.”

Kylo inhales sharply. Hux doesn’t react.

“I will be quitting the company at the end of the year,” Snoke says. “My time has come and gone. It is time for one of you to step up and take my place.”

“That’s quite an honor, sir,” Hux says. Snoke narrows his eyes.

“It is indeed. Which is why, over the next three months, I will be testing the both of you. That way I will determine which one of you is best suited to take over my company.”

Kylo’s heart is a drum in his chest. He opens his mouth to speak, to praise Snoke’s foresight, to plead his case, but Snoke raises a hand, and he is silent.

“I will not be announcing my retirement until I have decided which one of you will be replacing me,” he says. “I’d like to keep this between the three of us. You will join me for weekly meetings from now until December, where I will expect reports on your progress and will assess you in kind.”

“Of course, sir,” Hux speaks again. “Thank you, sir.”

“Enough of that, Hux,” Snoke growls. “Now, leave me. Send Ree back in here when you go.”

“Thank you, sir,” Kylo says, reverent. Both men bow their heads before walking from the office. They stay beside one another until they reach the elevator.

“Well,” Hux says, as the doors slide close. “May the best man win.”

Kylo grits his teeth and nods in reply. Hux’s smile is cold as he gets off on the eighth floor. Kylo closes his eyes and rests as the elevator sinks lower. The honor is a great one, indeed, but it’s going to be a hell of an addition on his work load. He can feel his back muscles tensing with the thought of it.

The elevator tings; he gets out and finds Bingley waiting for him at the door of his office.

“I need you to go out and get coffee,” he says before his PA can speak. “A large caffé americano for me, with an extra shot, if they can manage.” He hesitates, then continues. “Get Phasma’s coffee order, as well.”

“Of course, sir.” Bingley looks at him, all concern. “Do you have a coffee shop that you usually like?”

“No,” Kylo says, then closes his office door. He pokes his head out a moment later and finds Bingley still standing there. “Anywhere but Starbucks.” He amends, then closes the door again. If he sinks into his office chair with a little more flair than usual, well, he doesn’t see anything wrong with that. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief glossary of acronyms:
> 
> CEO: Chief Executive Officer  
> CFO: Chief Financial Officer  
> CHRO: Chief Human Resources Officer  
> COO: Chief Operating Officer 
> 
> Blake Bingley is BB8.  
> I know that 'Darth' is actually a title and not a name, but I preferred it to 'Vader'. Think of it as an homage to all of the Sith, instead of just one. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which introductions are (nearly) complete, training is had, and more unfriendly strangers appear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those of you who have commented. I'm glad you're liking the story so far. :) Feel free to let me know what you think of the new addition!

Jakku Java on Thursday is more a zoo than a coffee shop. Rey and Poe switch off stations at the counter, both of them exhausted. The lunch rush seems never-ending. On one hand, Rey is grateful. On the other, she wants to sit down.

Finn arrives five minutes before his shift is supposed to begin and is immediately pulled into the fray.

“What’s going on?”

“Lunch rush,” Rey says. Then, she smiles. “Your training starts now.”

Finn cobbles together a confident face, but she sees the nerves lurking. Some instinct has her reaching out and squeezing his hand before thrusting him over to Poe’s side of the counter.

She puts him beside Poe for two reasons. The first is because Poe makes better cappuccinos than she does, and cappuccinos seem to be what people want today. The second is because it turns her brother into a blushing, stuttering mess. The quarters that the three of them share are tight to begin with, but Poe brushes against Finn more often than it normally would until it gets to the point where even the guests are noticing.

 After half an hour of this, Rey sends her brother to the back. She watches him shrug off his apron and hand it to Finn before disappearing into the kitchen. Finn holds it like it’s precious before pulling it on.

Rey does not roll her eyes. Instead, she smiles and claps the man on the shoulder.

The rush dies down after another half hour. Rey and Finn are leaning against the counter, trying to catch their breath, when Poe comes back to the front. The three of them take in the moment of peace and exchange tired smiles. Rey watches her brother hover by Finn’s side and feels a pang of longing in her chest, though for what, she’s not certain.

Maz comes out from the kitchen a short time later to introduce herself, the smell of oatmeal cookies hovering around her like a perfume. She inserts herself between Poe and Finn, her eyes narrowed with scrutiny.

“You look familiar,” she says in a crackling voice. “Have we met before?”

“No, ma’am,” Finn says. “At least, I don’t think so.”

Maz hums and her eyes narrow further. A bold hand reaches and clasps Finn’s chin, pulling his face closer to hers. Rey watches while she searches, not saying a word. At last, Maz nods and lets Finn go. Then she turns her back and disappears into the kitchen.

“Well done, man,” Poe says, clapping him on the back. “She likes you!”

Finn rubs his chin, confusion flashing over his face. “That’s ‘liking’?”

Rey chuckles, despite herself. The bells above the door ring as a new patron arrives; all three of them leap into action. The young woman who’s waiting for them looks thoroughly overwhelmed. It takes all of Rey’s self-control to keep from laughing. 

She sends Maz home at two, then Poe at three thirty. He hangs around the shop, anyway, hovering near the counter and insisting that Finn needs him around, first for supervision and second for moral support. Finn makes no move to protest, only smiles.

Rey, on the other hand, finds herself becoming more and more annoyed. “He’ll be fine,” she says, at last. “What do you think I’m going to do, bite his head off?”

Poe shrugs. “You might, if you’re in a bad mood.”

“Then it’ll be all your fault, because you’re making my mood a _lot_ worse,” Rey snaps. Some of the laughter drops from Poe’s face; he frowns and looks almost concerned.

“Have you eaten today?”

Rey sighs and fights the headache she feels building behind her eyes. “Not the point. I’m just going to have him fill out his payroll paperwork. Do you really want to supervise that?”

“Yes!”

Her eye roll is so pronounced, even the patrons can see it. She puts up with Poe for another two minutes before chasing him out of the shop, shouting threats and curses all the way. Finn laughs the whole time.

She sets Finn up at a nearby table to fill out his W4, then wanders to the back of the shop to change the music. The last few hours of the day are the slowest, and more often than not, she’s alone, so music (and subsequent sing-alongs) become her boon until closing. The doorbells chime, however, before she can make a solid choice on song. She walks back to the front and hears some sort of soft-rock shouting come over the sound system.

“Welcome to Jakku Java,” she says with a smile. “What can I get you today?”

The patron shuffles their feet, glancing at a piece of paper in their hands. “Hi. I need – erm, a tall spiced caffé lungo, a tall caramel snickerdoodle macchiato, and,” they squint at the paper. “A grande caffé americano.”

“Wow, all that for you?” Rey teases. She doesn’t make a habit of holding conversations with her patrons, but this one has an air about them that makes her want to try.

The patron flushes and ducks their head. In response “Nah, not all of them,” they say. “Two are for my bosses.”

“Ah, coffee run. Best part of the day.” Rey muses. “Can I get a name for the order?”

“Blake Bingley.” The patron smiles. Rey scribbles out their full name on two of the cups, her black marker squeaking over the styrofoam.

A swath of black stains the length of her pinky. She frowns, then glances up. “Can I just write BB, instead?”

“Sure.” Blake shrugs. “Works for me.”

The last cup gets a flourished ‘BB’ written across it, making the patron in question laugh. Rey smiles as she totals up the cost, running BB’s card before stepping away to make their coffee.

There’s something monotonous and simple about making coffee that soothes Rey’s soul. It’s the flip of a switch, the boil of the water, the smell that smacks her and fill her mouth. This process is why she opened a coffee shop instead of anything else. She pulls the espresso through the machine and preps the spices and water; summons the bottle of whip cream from the mini-fridge beneath the counter. BB smiles when she meets their eye.

There’s a presence at her side. Finn nods at BB, his paperwork in hand. “You need help?” He asks.

Rey smiles. “If you could do the macchiato, I’d really appreciate it.”

They go to work side by side. The orders are done in no time, packed into a cup carrier like three finely dressed soldiers.

“Here you are,” Rey says, passing the tray to BB. “I hope your bosses don’t keep you on the clock much longer.”

“Oh, they probably will,” BB chuckles. “It’s my first day, see. I think they’re testing me out.”

“Hey, it’s my first day, too.” Finn grins. “Though I’m not really sure they’re ‘testing me out’ here; they’re cool like that.” He offers Rey a wink, who laughs. “Where do you work?”

BB’s smile drops a little. “Starkiller. Take jobs where you can, you know.” They don’t wait for a response as they head for the door. “Thanks for the coffee!”

Rey waves and watches them hurry down the street. When she turns around, she sees Finn staring, too, his face a mask of worry. “What’s wrong?” she asks, her smile dropping. “Do you know them?”

“No.” Finn pouts, then leans against the counter. “Nothing’s wrong, not really. I just – I just hope they come out of that place alright.”

A sadness flutters through Rey’s heart. She glances back towards the street; BB’s long gone, but it’s a reassurance, nonetheless.

“Starkiller’s a hard place to be when you’re new,” Finn continues. He chuckles, but there’s no joy in it. “They aren’t the most patient of folks. If you don’t catch on quick, you’re out on your ass.” With that, he wanders back into the kitchen, his entire body slumped.

Rey considers following him, but decides against it. She sends a text to Poe, however, and asks him to check in on their newest employee as soon as he can.

“They’ll be okay,” she murmurs, setting her phone aside. Then she collects the paperwork Finn has left behind and goes to enter it into the system. The feeling of dread in her stomach takes hours to ease.

***

Kylo sips the coffee Bingley brought him, eyes fixed on the nervous PA. It hits his tongue like a warm caress; he’s not sure if the taste makes him want to moan, or his own exhaustion.

“This is quite good,” he says, setting the cup aside. He hears Bingley let out a sigh of relief, but ignores them. “Where did you get it?”

“A family-owned place not far away from here,” The PA says. “It’s called Jakku Java, I think.”

Kylo glances at his cup. ‘Jakku Java’ is indeed stamped onto the coffee sleeve, a cactus next to the blown out words. He frowns, thoughtful. “Go there again, next time I send you out. You’re dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir.” Bingley bows out of his office, careful to close the door behind them.

Kylo leans back in his chair and takes another sip of coffee. Bingley has potential, he’ll give them that.

He glances at the clock; it’s a quarter until four. With the caffeine boost, he’ll make it to five in no time. Kylo allows himself another moment to enjoy his drink before getting back to work.

***

Rey closes the shop at six, after the post-work crowd has come and gone. It’s colder than she thought it would be when she steps outside. She pulls her coat tight around her and weighs the pros and cons of loitering before going home. The pink of the sky calls to her and beckons her onward. Rey mourns her lack of a scarf, but the opportunity to stretch her legs is too appealing to pass up.

The city sidewalks are a strange sort of comfort, firm under her feet as she goes. Rey heads south, watching shop lights burst to life as the sky fades to purple. A plaza unfolds before her, full of people with their heads tucked close together. Food trucks fill the air with amazing smells: tamales, decadent creations of cheesy, and vegetable stir fries abound. Rey’s stomach rumbles, but she keeps moving.

She finds a seat for herself at the base of the plaza’s fountain, still running despite the colder weather. There’s a gentle spray of water misting her back, but she doesn’t mind. Rey closes her eyes and lets the noise of the crowd and the fountain wash over her, filling her until her heart feels ready to burst.

“Excuse me, miss.” An unfamiliar voice says. Rey opens her eyes to see a young man standing before her, his hands buried deep in his pockets. “Do you think you could spare a fiver? I’m trying to catch the train home, but I lost my wallet somewhere.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Rey reaches for her purse. She’s rummaging through it when another boy appears out of the crowd to stand next to the first.

“Here you go,” she says, passing the boy the five. “Get home safe, alright?”

“You’re a kind lady, miss,” the boy says, tucking the bill into his pocket. “Thank you ever so much.”

A third boy has joined him, much bigger than the other two. The smile he offers her makes a shiver run down her spine.

“You’re welcome,” she says, pulling her purse close. “I think I’ll be going now; you have a good night.”

The first boy makes a show of looking surprised. “You don’t have to rush off, miss,” he says. “We aren’t no troublemakers. You’re just awful pretty, and we want to talk with you for a bit.”

Rey narrows her eyes. The boys hesitate, then lunge for her purse.

She turns tail and runs.

The evening crowd makes it difficult to move. She’s only halfway through the plaza when a hand circles her arm. Rey doesn’t think, she reacts; the boy who she’d paid goes flying, feet over head, and crashes into the pavement. A wide circle forms around him; Rey keeps on running.

There’s a shout, and then someone’s tugging on her purse. Rey turns and lashes out; her hand connects with flesh and someone hisses. She tugs her purse away, then finds her path blocked. There’s a whistle in the distance: a police officer, if she’s lucky. Rey charges into the crowd to her left; they part for her and let her run. Another whistle sounds as Rey breaks from the plaza, but she doesn’t turn around to see if the boys have been caught. She runs for blocks and blocks until the familiar light of her apartment shines in the distance.

She stops underneath a light post and struggles to breathe, her heart pounding in her ears. She grips her purse with tight hands and sinks to her knees, the cold October air caressing her sweaty face.

“Are you alright?”

She jumps at the sound of another voice. It’s the same man from yesterday. He raises an eyebrow at her as she scrambles backwards.

“I’m fine,” she says, too breathless for her liking. “I just – I think I nearly got mugged, that’s all.”

Concern flashes over the man’s features, then disappears. To her surprise, she hears him chuckle. “You met someone with a worse temper than mine,” he says, smug.

That knocks the remaining panic right out of her. Rey rises to her feet with a huff and rolls her eyes. “That’s one way to put it, yes,” she snaps. She readjusts her coat and purse, then takes a steadying breath. The man makes no further attempt at conversation, but neither does he move away.

“Well,” Rey says, into the growing awkward silence. “Have a good night.”

“Do you live far from here?” Surprise stops her before she can take a step. Rey looks up and squints into the man’s face. The twilight has him cast in shadows; he looks, for all the world, as uninterested as can be.

“Not so far,” she says, careful. “My apartment’s just up the way.”

The man hesitates, then nods. “Okay. Good.”

There’s only so much strangeness she can take in one day. Rey pastes on what she thinks passes for a smile before walking away, her eyes fixed on the light coming from her window. She feels a gaze burning into the back of her neck, but doesn’t turn around to acknowledge it.

***

The caffeine buzz from his coffee kept him late at work, and it seems a good thing it did. Kylo watches the woman until she slips into a nondescript apartment building. None of her would-be muggers appears, but he gives it a moment longer before he starts on his way again.

If he’s doing happy dances in his head, proud of himself for not playing the fool, then his face doesn’t show it.

Coming home late doesn’t bother him, but he keeps a quick pace, nonetheless. Darth is a needy dog who likes his dinner at the same time every night; if it isn’t there when he expects it to be, he throws a proper doggy tantrum. Kylo laments not training it out of him sooner, but he’d been soft on the dog when he’d first gotten him, and there was no way to undo the spoiling now. He’d come home to more than one dog-induced mess; if he could avoid one tonight, he would try.

He arrives at his apartment to find Darth sitting at the door and growling, but otherwise content. Nothing’s been destroyed, so he gives the beast an extra scoop of kibble. Kylo then collapses on the couch, groaning into the pillows before checking his phone. It takes him two tries to unlock the home screen; his fingers are shaking from the cold.

The call from his mother remains, the bright red reminder a mar on his screen. Kylo grits his teeth and stares it down, willing it to disappear. Then, with a put upon sigh, he hits play.

_Hello Ben – Kylo, sorry, Kylo. It’s been a while since I’ve heard from you, though I know you don’t like to be bothered. If you could let me know that you’re okay, I’d appreciate a call._

_Your father’s anniversary is coming up. I know you probably won’t come out, but it’d be good to see you again._

_Take care of yourself. I love you._

 Kylo deletes the message and leaves his phone on the couch. He fishes last night’s pizza out from the fridge and devours an entire piece cold. Darth, nose buried in his food dish, pays him no mind.

It’s been eight years since his father died. They’d never been close, not really, but it’d been one of Astrobase’s tanks that ran into his car when he was driving home that night. Kylo remembers finding his mother cradling the phone to her chest, sobbing like the world had come to an end. He’d held her, attended the funeral, done everything he could to make things better, but nothing had worked. Eventually he couldn’t bear it anymore. He’d thrown himself into school and then refused to come home.

They aren’t close anymore, he and his mom. She calls every two weeks or so and sends cards on his birthday and Christmas; when Kylo remembers, he sends them, too. She’d been fighting mad when he’d started working at Astrobase, refusing to speak to him for half a year. He wouldn’t admit it at the time, but it was the potential for her anger that drove him to apply in the first place. Anything was better than the half-glazed look in her eye that had been there since his father’s death.

Kylo finishes a second slice of pizza and roots through the refrigerator for a beer. He’ll have to go grocery shopping soon. The refrigerator door slams closed as he returns to the couch. He silences his phone and turns on the television, desperate for distraction.

He can’t go home now. Not with a potential promotion on the line; not with all the work he has to do. He takes a sip of his beer and sputters at the taste. No, he can’t go home. There’s nothing left for him there. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are friends, motor vehicles, and strange encounters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Hope you're all enjoying the story thus far. You should...I dunno...maybe tell me what you like best about it? Comments make my little heart happy.

Finn texts her on Friday to tell her that BB says hello. Rey, home on a day off, finds herself smiling. She can’t quite remember giving Finn her number, but she lets the familiarity slide. She goes about her day lighter, somehow. It’s been a while since she had anything resembling a friend (because Poe doesn’t count).

It’s Monday when she sees BB next. Finn and Maz are working together in the kitchen while Rey holds down the front; Poe, despite his crush on their newest employee, is supposedly enjoying a day at home. BB smiles and waves as they walk through the shop’s door; Rey finds herself waving back.

“Welcome back,” she says, once they’ve reached the counter. “What can I get your bosses today?”

BB’s laugh is warm, if not a hint dry. “You can get them an iced Americano and a dirty chai latte, and me a pumpkin spice. If you’re so inclined.”

Rey taps her lips and pretends to think. “I supposed I can manage that.” She shoos them down the counter before passing off the order to Finn, who appears out of the back at the sound of BB’s laughter. The two high-five over the counter while Rey gathers BB’s cups. She wonders at their easy comradery; at the easy way BB has made such a good impression in so little time.

“You should come in when you’re not on the clock sometime,” she tells them as she tops off their pumpkin spice. “Finn needs more people who like him around here.”

She ignores Finn’s sputtering in favor of BB’s laughter. “I think I will,” they say, once they catch their breath. Finn’s defense of himself goes mostly unheard. Rey hands BB their tray and sends them from the shop with a cheerful smile on their face.

“Now listen here, you,” Finn says, his hand brushing over her shoulder as he ducks to get more cups. “I have plenty of people who like me. They’re good, wonderful people who appreciate me for who I am and don’t pick on me, unlike some people I know.”

“Oh, yeah?” Rey asks, emboldened. “Name six.”

Finn’s surprised smile delights her almost as much as the false names he gives her. They become more and more elaborate the longer she lets him go; he has her laughing so hard that she spills a patron’s drink and has to give it to them on the house. Maz peeks her head out of the kitchen at one point, only to shake it at the both of them. Finn and Rey exchange glances, and the giggling starts all over again.

She wonders, after they stop, just how distant she’s been acting.

The morning rush dwindles until there’s only two people left in the shop, both of them caught up in worlds of their own. Rey leaves Finn in charge of the front and settles herself next to Maz and the stove, where she steals oatmeal cookies when the older lady isn’t looking. She’s not sure if she’s being all that secretive, actually, but Maz doesn’t say a word to stop her.

“Hey, Rey?” Finn calls after a half hour or so. “Your brother’s here.”

“Tell him to go away,” Rey calls. She swipes another oatmeal cookie and comes out to the front, where Poe is grinning on the other side of the counter.

“Why are you here?” Rey speaks before either of the men can; their shared mischief makes her stomach reel.

“Because I can be,” Poe declares. “And because I have a surprise for you, sister dear.”

“A surprise,” Rey says flatly. “Poe, I hate surprises.”

“Yes, yes, I know.” Poe waves her words away. “But you’ll like this one. Finn, mind the front,” he orders. “I’m taking my sister outside.”

“Sir, yes sir.” Finn, the traitor, smiles as Poe drags Rey out from behind the counter. She grumbles all the way to the door until he pushes her out of it and in front of a busted-up, teal blue car.

Rey stares at it, a feeling not unlike exasperation taking hold of her.

“Well?” Poe asks, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “What do you think?”

“Please tell me that’s not yours.”

“Well,” Poe says with a grand smile. “Technically it’s _our_ car. My car, yes, because I bought it, but what do we have that we don’t share. Isn’t it great?” He’s like a boy showing his mother a bouquet of dandelions. Rey may be practical, but she doesn’t have the heart to be mean.

She curbs her exasperation and circles the car, cataloging its many ( _many_ ) faults but keeping the list to herself. She finishes one circle, then starts another in reverse. Poe is practically vibrating by the time she makes it back to him.

Rey tears her eyes away from the car and clears her throat. “Poe, it’s garbage.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that!” Poe says at once. “It’s _our_ garbage. We’re like raccoons, Rey: we defend our garbage, even when it’s not pretty.”

“When is garbage ever pretty?”

“Not the point!” Poe insists. He marches around the other side of the car and croons over it, stroking the hood with gentle hands.

Rey rolls her eyes, but his enthusiasm is catching. “Fine. It’s not terrible, not really.” A stray thought makes her heart stutter. “How much did you pay for it?”

For a moment, Poe’s face goes dark. “More than I should’ve,” he admits. “But it was cheap enough that we’ll make it through the month. And think of the benefits! Now I can drive you back and worth to work, and neither of us will have to worry about sore legs or late nights or muggers ever again!”

Her breath leaves her in one solid gasp. That explains so much. Rey tries to ignore the sharp prick of guilt in her stomach as Poe goes on and on about the car, his words gradually fading into background noise.

He’d been worried sick when she’d told him about the muggers (albeit, worried sick in a Poe-like manner, meaning he spent ten minutes yelling at her and twenty minutes with his arms wrapped around her, refusing to let go). This _would_ be his reaction to that sort of thing. Rey feels her heart soften as she watches him bounce around the car; she wonders how he’d respond to her calling him ‘Raccoon King’ from now on.

“Have you named it yet?” she asks, at last.

Poe stops mid-rant and stares at her, his smile taking on a new shade of delight. “I have not,” he says. “I wanted to show her to you, first. I thought we could name her together.”

The rush of love she feels for her brother nearly overwhelms her. Rey goes to say something terribly sappy when Finn comes bursting through the shop’s front door, his mouth agape.

“Dude, is this your car?”

Poe blushes; Rey tries not to giggle. The two men fall into a rapid conversation she doesn’t feel the need to follow, full of complements and excited squealing. She squeezes Poe’s shoulder before slipping inside the shop. Finn stops her just before she steps through the door, his hand held high in the air. It takes Rey a moment to realize what he’s asking for.

They high-five, then she ducks inside.

Maz is waiting behind the counter, her book still in hand. Rey joins her and watches the two men turn into ten year old boys: Finn sliding over the hood of the car while Poe pretends to drive. She doesn’t have to have to door open to hear their wild laughter.

“They’re good boys,” Maz says. “Not worth the pay, but good boys, nonetheless.”

Rey snorts. Outside she sees Finn clamber into the passenger’s seat, likely seeking shelter from the cold. The warmth growing in her chest is unusual, but not unpleasant.

Maz slips back into the kitchen after a while, leaving Rey alone with her thoughts.

***

Kylo cradles the cup of coffee Bingley has brought him close to his chest as he stalks through the office. No one is willing to meet his eye today, a true sign of a proper Monday. Kylo takes a sip of his drink and knows, in his heart of hearts, that it’s going to be the only thing that gets him through the day.

He wonders if sending Bingley out for more would look practical or just plain desperate.

The weekend feels like it never even happened. The memories Kylo does have of it come back to him in blurs: there’s a scene of Darth tearing through the house, and himself, chasing after the stupid creature in an attempt to get him to stay quiet; there are snippets of countless bad television shows, all of them blurring together; there’s a moment where he remembers going to the liquor store…and that’s where things start to trail off altogether.

Kylo pushes a hand against his temple and tries not to groan until he’s barricaded in his office. He takes another sip of his coffee and sighs. The warmth seeps into his bones and trickles down his back, relaxing the muscles that have wrapped themselves in knots. He really needs to visit this 'Jakku Java’ place – if his theory is correct, his therapist is going to owe them a lot of money. Rebecca Phasma already does, because Bingley has lasted a grand total of six days thus far, and Kylo’s certain that their discovery of the coffee shop has had something to do with it.

He sits down in front of his computer and skims through his inbox, deleting the emails that look unimportant. There’s an email from Snoke sitting a few messages from the top, just below an email from Hux. The sight of those two names together makes Kylo grit his teeth. He uses the last of his coffee to steel his nerves before opening the message from Snoke.

It’s not good (at least, not for him). Snoke, in an attempt to ‘test’ Kylo’s and Hux’s ability to lead the company, wants them to spend time ‘touring’ each of Astrobase’s various departments. Hux is to start in financing; Kylo is to start in operations. A fair switch, Snoke states, before mentioning that he expects both men to keep up with their regular workload, as well. Kylo can hear the man cackling from three floors away.

Operations. Objectively, he knows what goes on in operations, so things could be worse; Snoke could’ve sent him to human resources. The mere thought of that visit makes him shudder. Phasma has informed him on more than one occasion that he’s spectacularly _bad_ at human interaction, and Kylo never hesitates to agree. He’ll have to make that visit eventually, but for now, operations seems manageable.

Hux’s email, compared to Snoke’s, is less cryptic with its intentions:

_If you fuck up my department I will find where you keep your eyeliner pencils and shove them all up your ass._

Kylo rolls his eyes and deletes the message. Fucking Hux; the man had no faith in him. It must be driving him mad to know that Snoke considered Kylo his equal. The thought makes Kylo smile.

He may not be people oriented, but if there’s one thing he is, it’s wicked smart. Bolstered by the thought of Hux’s annoyance, Kylo spends the next several hours sending off emails and reading through spreadsheets, trying to get ahead of the work that never stops coming. He sends a message to Bingley, as well, instructing them to make back up files of all of his most recent work (Hux may be a professional, but Kylo wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to sabotage the department.)

There’s a knock on his door a few minutes before noon. Kylo shakes himself from his stupor and hopes his glower can pierce through wood. “What?”

“Well, good afternoon to you, too.” Phasma pushes the door open, her mouth curled into a smirk.

“What do you want, Phasma?”

“Oh, nothing in particular,” she says, inspecting her nails. “I was hoping you could tell me why Hux has been parading around the office like someone pissed in his coffee?”

“Because someone probably did,” Kylo grumbles. Phasma chuckles and leans against his doorway, waiting for him to continue. Kylo holds her off for another minute before he looks up. “I can’t tell you exactly why,” he says. “Snoke’s requested that we keep things quiet. But I can tell you that we’ll be briefly – _briefly_ _–_ switching departments.”

Phasma stares at him, at a loss. “Snoke wants you working around people?”

“Apparently,” Kylo huffs. “And I can’t exactly tell him no, so I have to do it.”

He thinks he hears her laugh, but it’s a throaty, breathless thing. “That’s your own fault, you know,” she says. “I – well – I’m sure it’s going to be interesting?”

The question mark at the end of her statement is painfully clear; her doubt makes his head throb. The frustration and fear he’s bottled up about Snoke’s little ‘competition’ start to boil in his chest. He can feel himself starting to sweat through his suit.

Phasma lingers for another minute or so, her gaze heavy on his brow. Kylo is shaking in his chair by the time she leaves.

The door closes with a solid ‘thud’, and Kylo breaks. He clutches at his hair and pulls himself in tight, forcing himself to breathe before the weight of the world comes crashing down on his shoulders.

Five minutes later, he leaves his office with his briefcase packed. He finds Bingley at a desk near Finance’s reception and drags them out of their seat.

“Sir?” Bingley asks, their voice tight and frightened (his face must be a picture, and how delightful is that?)

“I’m going out,” Kylo says, relaxing his grip on Bingley’s tie. “Forward all my calls to my cellphone and cancel all my meetings for the day.”

“Sir?” Bingley’s eyes have gone wide. Kylo silences them with a look. 

“Just do it.”

They’ve reached the elevator. Kylo steps in and leaves Bingley stuttering behind him. The doors slide closed with a satisfying snap.

No one stops him as he storms out of Astrobase’s gilded front doors and into the snapping wind.

He doesn’t have a destination in mind. His feet carry him through the city, his pace brisk until the Astrobase building is out of sight. This takes longer than he would like, but then again, it’s a big building. When the shiny top offices have finally disappeared, he slows, but doesn’t stop. It’s only the growling of his stomach that eventually knocks him from his trance. He’s breathing heavily, more heavily than he should be. Kylo reaches for his phone and realizes that his hands are shaking – he’s not sure if it’s the cold, or residual stress from the day. He’s hoping it’s the former.

His stomach growls again. Kylo grumbles at it and scrolls through his phone, using a local map to seek out somewhere to eat. A familiar name comes to mind, after a moment. Kylo closes the map and types ‘Jakku Java’ into the search bar instead. 

The coffee shop is a grand total of three blocks from the corner he’s standing on. Kylo about-faces and heads towards the sweet promise of coffee and (hopefully) something to eat.

***

Rey manages to get the boys back inside by the time the lunch rush hits. She and Finn switch roles as the crowd washes over them: one moment cashier, the next, barista. It keeps them moving and their minds sharp (or so she tells him, as she hands him a particularly nasty patron). Finn laughs at her, but plays along, anyway.

Poe takes up residence in the kitchen with Maz and, if Rey’s hearing properly, is talking her ear off about the car. She passes Finn an order for a double shot expresso before peeking in and scowling.

“Stop distracting my baker, Poe. Go home or do something useful.”

Poe, like the adult that he is, sticks his tongue out at her. “But Maz likes my stories!”

Maz and Rey share a look. The older woman rolls her eyes.

“Not more than she likes a paycheck,” Rey says. She hears Finn call her name and disappears before either one of them can move.

“You’re not really worried about him, right?” He asks as they pass each other by.

“Only a little,” Rey grumbles. She takes another order and passes it to him before replying. “He’s hardworking when he’s on the clock, but otherwise? Nuisance. Complete nuisance.”

This has Finn in stiches for no reason she can fathom. Rey raises an eyebrow and shoos him back towards the espresso machine just to make him stop.

“By the way,” he says, next time they have a moment. “We thought of a name for the car.”

“Oh?” There’s a twinge in her chest, only halfway amused. “I thought you were going to wait for me.”

“Well, we were,” Finn admits, shoving his hands into his pockets. “But it’s a really good one, I promise.”

Rey narrows her eyes, then sighs. “Alright then. What is it?”

The doorbell chimes, and she’s saved for a moment. Rey squashes down her unruly emotions whiling taking the patron’s order. She’s found a steady place by the time she hands it over to Finn, and she lingers, waiting for him to speak.

“We’re gonna call it the Millennial Falcon,” he says with a grin.

Rey blinks. “What?”

“You know,” Finn says. “Falcon because falcons are cool and millennial because we’re all young and stuff. Everyone knows the broken down cars are for young people.”

That makes Rey snort. She passes a cup of black coffee over the counter and purses her lips. “It doesn’t quite feel right,” she says.

“Oh, yeah? What would you name it?”

It takes Rey two more orders to pick out what she doesn’t like, and one more to decide how to fix it. “How about ‘millennium’ instead of ‘millennial’?” She says. “It sounds…I dunno, steadier.” She likes steady things. The car may not be the most stable of things, but it’s a product of the steadiest relationship in her life. If she’s going to contribute something, she can at least contribute this.

Finn pauses for a moment, his brow heavy with thought. Then, to Rey’s great surprise, he turns towards the kitchen.

“Hey, Poe!” he shouts. “How about ‘Millennium Falcon’ instead of ‘Millennial’?”

Rey smiles apologetically at the nearest patron before throwing Finn a dangerous glare. The man on the receiving end only shrugs.

There’s a crash from the back, then Poe comes stumbling out of the kitchen. “Millennium,” he says, smacking his lips together. “Millennium. I like it!”

Despite herself, Rey smiles. “Glad I could contribute.”

The look Poe gives her can only be described as dazzling, and Rey finds her tender heart eased almost at once. He knows her too well.

“Millennium Falcon it is!” he crows. He and Finn leap into a high-five; Finn, in his excitement, drops the coffee that he’d been making. Rey clears the cash register of charges and offers a replacement cup, free of charge, to the waiting patron.

“You two are making me lose money,” she grumbles as the doorbell chimes again. She turns around, and then Mr. Tall, Dark, and Strange walks into the shop.

***

Kylo doesn’t quite have to duck to get through Jakku Java’s front door, but it’s a near thing. He strides up to the shop counter and nearly chokes when he sees who’s behind it. Dark hazel eyes stare back at him, gone wide in surprise.

It takes a concentrated effort for him to keep moving forward when all of his senses are telling him to stop. Kylo pushes past the lump that’s formed in his throat and uses the counter to steady himself.

“Hello.” His voice is no more than a rasp; he clears his throat in a vain attempt to sound normal. “This is Jakku Java?”

“That’s what is says on the sign,” the woman says. It’s supposed to be a joke (even he can pick up on that), but the weakness in her voice makes it fall flat. He tries for a laugh, but it sounds drier than he intends.

“We’re happy to have you here,” a new voice says, cutting through his haze. Kylo rips his attention away from the woman and turns to this new speaker: a short man with dark skin and a smile that’s clearly forced. “What can I get you today?” He asks.

“A grande americano,” Kylo says, letting the ‘please’ drop and hit the floor where it belongs. This sort of thing he can deal with, this not-exactly confrontation. The man punches his order into the casher register, all while keeping one arm pressed against the woman’s side. “And a muffin, if you have any left,” he adds.

 New, less cute barista narrows his eyes. “Can I get a name to go along with that?”

He opens his mouth and finds ‘Kylo Ren’ sticking in his throat. “Ben,” he says, after moment. “Write down Ben.”

Another man appears from the back of the shop, just as short as the others and with dark hair curling around his ears. He takes one look at Kylo, then at the woman. Eyes narrowing into a glare, he deliberately sets himself up on her other side.

“One grande americano and a pumpkin muffin for Ben,” The first man says. “We’ll have that ready for you in just a minute.”

Kylo nods and steps out of line. He turns his back to the counter and debates whether or not he should find a table to sit at or just run out of the shop.

“Hey.” It’s the woman who speaks. Kylo turns around, his heart pounding in his chest. The two men remain stationed at her side, but at least she’s smiling now. Well, sort of smiling.

“We’re gonna need you to pay for that.”

Kylo feels himself flush from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes. “Right. Of course.” He hands over his credit card. His hands are shaking when he takes it back. As he steps out of line (again), he decides that he’ll find a table; he doesn’t think his legs will support him for much longer, anyway.

***

Rey lets Poe guide her back into the kitchen, where she collapses into the nearest chair. Her brother pulls up a seat beside her, leaving Finn to make the man’s – Ben’s – drink.

“Who was that?” Poe asks in a low voice. “An ex-boyfriend? A stalker? Do I need to go and teach him a lesson?”

“You really don’t,” Rey says. She’s breathless and her heart is slamming against her ribcage and she really doesn’t know why. Maybe it’s Pavlovian; she sees a guy after nearly getting mugged and has a heart attack when she sees him afterward. Or maybe he’s like an omen of ominous things – which makes less sense, but she’s going with what she’s got. “I hardly know him, really. I’ve just bumped into him a couple of times.”

“Bumped into him?” Poe repeats. “Has he hurt you?”

“No, no,” Rey insists. “No. He’s just – weird, you know? He feels weird.”

“I agree.” It’s Finn who speaks. He leans against the kitchen doorway, a frown etched onto his face. “Anyone who looks at our girl like she’s something to eat is not someone we want around.”

“Oh, stop,” Rey snaps. “He’s just a man; he’s not going to do anything to hurt me. And even if he does, I can knock him down on his skinny ass.” The ‘our girl’ registers a moment after she finishes speaking, and it tempers her annoyance, if only a little. She focuses her attention on the ground.

“I know you can,” Poe says. He grips her shoulders tight and gives them a squeeze. “But we worry about you, you know?”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Rey replies. She shrugs him off as gently as she can; he gets the message and lets go. The back of the shop feels far too small to contain her, let alone all three of them (not to mention Maz. The older woman stands quietly by the stove, observing. She and Rey share a look, though Rey can’t imagine the implications.)

“You stay back here for a little while, yeah?” Poe words it like a question, but Rey narrows her eyes. He grimaces before continuing. “Finn and I will handle the front.”

“Uh, no,” Rey says, pushing out of her seat. “You’re not on the clock. This is technically your day off, Poe, you shouldn’t even be here.”

“And yet, here I am,” he says with a grin. “I have to keep Finn company, you know. Otherwise he’ll go mad from exposure to all your stress.”

She hears Finn huff, but it’s an amused thing. Rey levels them both with a glower. “Right.” She shoves Poe back into the kitchen and takes her place at the counter, ignoring the quiet laughter she hears echoing off the walls. She catches Maz’s eye again and receives an exaggerated eye roll for her efforts. The baker, at least, knows that she can take care of herself.

The man – Ben – has taken up a spot near the window and seems to have buried himself in his laptop. Rey glances at him once, just to get a sense of where he is, then forces her attention elsewhere.

The lunch rush tappers off over the next hour, until the shop is empty save for Ben and three other workaholics. Rey props herself up on the counter with her back to the door and watches as Finn and Poe sword fight with the stirring rods they use for mixed drinks. She cheers as Finn conquers her brother, backing him into a corner.

“I’m sorry,” a voice says from behind her. Rey resists the urge to shriek and leaps down from the counter, turning to find – who else – Ben, standing awkwardly at the counter.

“Sorry for what?” ahe asks, disgusted by her own breathlessness.

“Scaring you,” he says, in a tone that could pass for conversational. “You seemed surprised to see me.”

“I was.”

“Why?”

Rey struggles to find the words, stuttering her way through the silence. “You don’t seem the type to come around here,” she says, at last.

To her surprise, he chuckles. “I’m not. A…friend of mine recommended the coffee. I had some time off work and thought I’d give it a try.”

Rey swallows hard. Ben doesn’t scare her, not exactly, but his presence stinks of authority and threat. She’s lucky Finn and Poe are otherwise occupied and can’t see her having this conversation.

“Your friend has good taste,” she says.

Ben chuckles (some subconscious part of her mind decides that he should chuckle more often; it’s like chocolate icing on red velvet cake: rich and dark as sin.) “Indeed they do. I think I’ll stop by again.” He hesitates, then looks away. “So long as that’s not a problem.”

Rey waits a moment before replying, weighing her options. “It’ll be fine,” she says, at last. “So long as you don’t lose that terrible temper of yours.”

Ben looks up sharply, and Rey can’t help it; she smirks. He raises an eyebrow before turning on his heel and strutting out of the shop.

“Have a good day!” Rey calls. The door swings shut with more force than necessary.

She’s still snickering when Poe and Finn poke their heads out of the kitchen.

“Doing alright?” Finn asks, a smile on his face. Rey nods and smiles back, something like pride settling in her stomach. She snatches the stirring rod from his hand and strolls into the kitchen, leaving him up front while she challenges her brother to a sword fight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a dog, family bonding, and an excessive use of parenthesizes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been staring at this chapter for about three hours now. Nothing left to do but post it. Thanks to everyone who's read so far! Looking forward to hearing what you think.

He hasn’t gone by ‘Ben’ in years. Seven years, to be exact. The feel of it is wrong on his tongue and rough as it slams against his skull. Kylo curls his hands into fists and tries to identify which moment of weakness made him revert, made him turn back into someone he’s most definitely _not_.

It’s a pointless exercise, because he knows why he did it.

There’d been something familiar about the man who’d come to the barista’s rescue. Not anything identifiable, but just a sense, like he knew who Kylo was. The thought of the barista – who hadn’t batted an eye at the name ‘Ben’, nor given him any impression that she knew who he was – realizing his ties to Astrobase had been abruptly terrifying. He’d decided, in a moment, to let her believe that he was normal (well, not _normal_ normal, but at least not in a position of power).

If she thought they were on the same level, he’d reasoned, she’d be more likely to talk to him.

He’s not sure why that mattered (matters, still), but it did. Does.

There’s something strange about her, something compelling. Kylo curses and nearly halts his retreat, because _he still doesn’t know her name_. He doesn’t know anything about her, and yet, he wants to; she smiles like she’s got the sun tucked inside her mouth, and it _burns_ him. She’s the center of that little shop and it’s really, really distracting to think about the way she glows.

Kylo shakes himself and resumes his fast pace, wondering what daft idea drove him to the coffee shop in the first place.

It’d been peaceful, though, when he’d finally calmed down (and whenever he’d stopped staring). He’d been productive in the moments he wasn’t freaking out, and there’s been no need to worry about running into Hux, or Phasma, or anybody else he knew. The coffee was amazing (though he wasn’t surprised), as was the muffin. Really, it wasn’t so bad. If he hadn’t feel powerless the moment he saw who was behind the counter, he would have even like it.

Kylo sighs.

He should have gotten her name. The light changes above him, bringing him to a stop. He fiddles with his briefcase and frowns. She has his name, now – well, his old name – and he really should’ve gotten hers. It would’ve only been fair. Was she wearing a name tag? He’d been too distracted to check. Kylo rubs his temples and tries to fight off the headache he feels building there.

A beer and a walk with Darth will clear his head. The light changes. Kylo crosses the street and does his best to put the coffee shop from his mind.

He’s not all that successful.

Darth is surprised to see him home so early; he’s still sleeping when Kylo unlocks the door. The silence doesn’t last long. Darth leaps from his bed and plants his paws on Kylo’s thighs, his happy barking loud enough to startle the whole complex. Kylo shushes him and sets his briefcase aside to better ruffle the dog’s ears. When he moves to the couch and throws himself on it, Darth follows him, hesitating before nudging his hand with a wet nose.

“Go away, Darth,” Kylo says, his voice muffled by the cushions. “I’m busy.”

Darth wiggles a little, then barks again when his owner won’t pet him. Kylo groans again and pushes himself upright.

“You’re such a needy dog,” he grumbles. Darth rejoices as the petting resumes, flopping onto his belly with a happy doggy smile. Kylo rolls his eyes before obliging.

When he finally gets his hands free, he makes his way to the kitchen. The need to go grocery shopping has not abated; he’s going to have to either make eggs for dinner or order another pizza. Or Chinese food. Kylo reaches for his phone and is about to dial when he notices a missed call waiting in his voice mail. The number isn’t a familiar one. He presses play and listens.

 _Hello, Kylo._ Mr. Snoke’s voice comes oozing out of the phone. _Hux told me that you left work early today, and your new assistant informed me that you’d be working out of office. I’m disappointed; I thought we had a meeting about last month’s numbers today._ They probably did; Kylo grits his teeth and keeps listening.

 _I’ll meet with you tomorrow, then, when you have your head on more securely. I have high hopes for you, my boy. Do not disappoint me_. The message ends without a goodbye.

Kylo sinks down to the floor, his back pressed to the refrigerator. Of course he loses his temper on the day he has a meeting with Snoke. Of course Snoke has access to his private number. _Of course_ this is happening. Kylo snarls and throws his phone across the room; it smacks against a cabinet before falling to the floor.

Reality catches up with his emotions a moment later, and he scrambles over to the phone. Lifeproof cases work well when you tend to lose your temper, and he invested in one a long time ago. He checks the device over anyway. It’s uncracked and undamaged, but he still has to fight down a wave of self-deprecating disgust.

His temper seems to be the root of all of his problems today.  

His mind flits back to the coffee shop at once, to the barista and her frustrating little joke. Kylo grits his teeth.

On one hand, it’s a relief she relaxed enough to talk to him. On the other – well, he wasn’t joking. No matter how stupid his confession sounded when it came out of his mouth, it’s the truth. Kylo Ren knows he has a problem. Not many people know that, and those who do have been out of his life for ages.

Kylo checks over his phone one more time before tucking it into his pocket.

 “Come on, Darth.”

The dog barks as Kylo pushes himself upright. He plucks the dog’s leash from the hook by the door and fastens it on to Darth’s collar. The dog’s practically foaming at the mouth with his desire to get outside, unaware of his master’s inner turmoil. Kylo sighs and finds himself almost smiling.

He’ll walk Darth by the Chinese place on 96th, he decides, as he steps out into the hall. It’s been long enough since he’s been in, and the staff probably doesn’t know him yet.   

Darth leaps forward and tugs him towards the stairs. Kylo’s surprised by the sound of his own laughter as it echoes off the concrete walls. “Dumb dog.” He mutters, before following Darth down to the street.  

***

Rey’s not sure what the boys are debating about outside on the street, and frankly, she’s too afraid to ask.

Poe had lingered in the shop for ages, until Rey let Finn off the clock just to get him to leave. His face had lit up; she’d rolled her eyes and tried not to groan. Both men had walked out of the shop’s front door not ten minutes later, their shoulders bumping together as they walked. They’d stopped by the Millenium Falcon to talk – and that’s when things seemed to go downhill.

Finn drifts away, now, his expression almost sad. Poe moves to go after him, but forces himself to stop. Rey sees his face fall as Finn takes another step. They both watch as he walks down the street, though Poe keeps staring long after he’s disappeared from view.  

Rey feels something in her chest start to sting.

Poe slinks back into the shop a few minutes later. He leans against the counter like he always does, but his eyes are cast low.

“Hey,” Rey murmurs, moving to his side. “What’s the matter?”

Poe manages a smile and a shrug, but she can tell they’re half-hearted. “It’s nothing,” he says. “How much longer do you think you’re going to be here tonight?”

“Until six,” Rey says, narrowing her eyes. “The same time we always close.”

Her brother flushes and looks away. “Right,” he says, clearing his throat. “Well, it’s four thirty now. I’ll meet you back here then and drive you home, alright?”

She wants to tell him to stay, wants to make him talk to her, but she knows her brother well. So instead, Rey sends him away with only a lifted eyebrow. She sees his quiet thanks and reminds herself to corner him before the day is out.

Maz joins her as he walks out of the shop, a newly-cleaned mixing bowl in hand.

“What was that about, you think?” Rey mutters as the shop door closes.

Maz doesn’t answer for a moment. Rey glances down at her and sees a sad fondness settle in her eyes. “They are learning each other,” Maz says. “But they are foolish about it.”

Rey’s eyebrow jolts higher, but she says nothing. Instead, she turns her attention back to the few patrons that remain, all of them settled in with at least two coffee cups in front of them. Maz stays with her for one heavy moment, then huffs and retreats to the kitchen.

Rey sends her home at five thirty, then starts to prep the shop for closing. She’s wiped the tables down and has half the chairs stacked by the time Poe returns, looking much more like himself than before. He comes in and leans against the nearest wall instead of helping her; that alone suggests that he’s feeling a bit better.

“You realize that you’re going to have to tell me what’s going on, right?” Rey tells him, without looking up.

“I know,” he says, with a bad attempt at a chuckle. “Just not here. I’ll tell you when we get home.”

Rey grunts, but doesn’t reply. She stacks the rest of the chairs before turning to him, sweat dripping down her brow. “Should we stop somewhere and pick up dinner?”

Poe shrugs.

Rey rolls her eyes. “Oh, no,” she says. “You don’t get to go all ‘mope-y drama queen’ while we’re still at work.”

“And why not?” Poe asks. Rey relaxes a bit; the teasing is back in his voice.

“Because,” she says primly. “It’s distracting.”

Poe huffs out a laugh, a real one, this time. He readjusts his stance and watches her finish her work, cracking idle jokes until the shop’s ready to close. Rey locks the door and lets Poe escort her to the Falcon, which sits prettily on a nearby corner. She ducks into the passenger’s seat and watches her brother clamber into the driver’s, his hands running over the steering wheel with a touch that’s already familiar.

They stop at a take away pizza place before going home. The box sits between them as they sit on the living room floor, their television playing some soap opera nonsense that neither of them are watching.

“So,” Rey says, after her second slice of pepperoni. “Explain?”

Poe glances at her, in the middle of wiping marinara sauce off his mouth. He sets his napkin aside and hesitates before speaking.

 “My wooing may have taken a sour turn.”

Rey sighs, but waits for him to continue. Poe flushes under her gaze. “I really do think he’s interested,” he insists. “Finn, I mean. But…he’s never been with a man before. I think,” he sighs and runs a hand through his hair, “I think I may have been too forward.”

Rey takes a moment before replying. Even so, she reaches out and takes her brother’s hand in hers. “Remember what it was like for you, at first?” she asks.

Poe scoffs. “Of course I do. I was awkward and tactless and you made fun of me all the time.”

“For your awkwardness, yes,” Rey smiles. “But you at least had the benefit of your confidence, didn’t you?”

“Why wouldn’t I have?” Poe holds his head high. “I’m gorgeous.”

Rey rolls her eyes. “That’s not quite what I meant, but sure. Take it that way. Finn...” she hesitates. “...Finn is like a butterfly. Or a baby deer. He’ll need time to get used to,” she waves her free hand in her brother’s direction, “All of this.”

“All of this?” Poe, to her complete lack of surprise, smirks. “Baby sister, is that a compliment?”

“It’s not,” she says dryly. Poe raises an eyebrow, an exaggerated parody of her, and she allows herself a laugh. “I’m serious,” she says, a moment later. “You’re like a mountain cat. You need to approach slowly so that you don’t scare him away.”

“One minute you compliment my masculinity, the next you call me a cougar,” Poe sighs. “I’m getting mixed signals from you, Rey. Are you sympathizing with me or not?”

“I _am_ sympathizing with you,” Rey insists. “But I’m also sympathizing with Finn.”

Poe falls quiet at that. He purses his lips, thoughtful, then reaches for another slice of pizza. “I’ll back off,” he says, taking a bite. “Let him decide if he wants to pursue this, and then make my decision.”

“That’s sound logic if I’ve ever heard it,” Rey says. She takes another slice and lets her brother’s hand drop.

They sit together on the floor for a while, until Poe starts shouting at the characters on the television and Rey spills soda down her shirt. Poe hugs her anyway, when they go to part for bed. Rey locks herself in her room and strips off her clothes, more than ready for the day to end.

She lays down in bed, but sleep evades her. The blankets tangle around her as she struggles to get comfortable; she’s distracted, both by her brother’s plight and by a pair of startlingly dark eyes that seem to have followed her home.

She knows his name now, this Mr. Tall, Dark, and Awkward. He’s much less intimidating when she’s on her own her ground; the memory of his shocked face makes her fight down a giggle. Rey sighs and cuddles into her sheets. She may not ever see him again, but at least she knows the truth: he’s a hopeless penguin trying to masquerade as a hawk. There’s not a dammed thing that’s scary about him.

(That’s what she tells herself, anyway, as she drifts off to sleep.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *stands on a stool and takes Kylo Ren by the shoulders* Self awareness is good only when you /do something with it, you little shit./


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are meetings, Halloween decorations, and odd bodily sensations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *looks at summary*  
> *sighs* It's not what you think it is, I promise.  
> Now, go forth and enjoy! Comment! Be wonderful and amazing like I know you are! (I mean in general, not just in commenting. Whatever. You understand.)
> 
> Brief reminder: One asterisk (*) means time jump. Three asterisks (***) means POV change.

He _could_ have done some reading about operations before Snoke’s ‘competition’ began. Really, he should have. Kylo considers himself a little too busy running meetings, though, and the looking over first of the month’s numbers to put his mind to the task.

When he’s brought down to the company assembly lines, then, on another dreary Monday, he’s understandably confused.

“What are we doing here?”

His guide – Hux’s personal assistant, whose name he can’t quite remember – answers. “The operations department monitors the day to day progress of the company, from the individual staff to the overall input and output,” she says. “We’re starting today with a walk through of our most recent product: The Juggernaut.” A cruel smile flickers across to her face. When she’s not looking, Kylo takes a tentative step backwards.

He’s heard about The Juggernaut; it’s cost him a lot of money to produce. It’s a weapon like no other: power stacked on power, promising to destroy wide swaths of land in a single blow. Kylo has no doubt that they’ll make back the cost from whatever country buys this weapon of mass chaos, but the thought of it makes his stomach tie itself in knots.

He listens with half an ear as what’s-her-name walks him through the factory, pointing out individual parts that he knows the cost of, if not the name. She waves at more than one person scattered across the room, her smile becoming a little more genuine. Social skills are clearly a must for an individual in operations, not to mention the Chief Officer. Kylo scoffs; it’s no surprise he didn’t get this job.

They move from the factory floor to the manager’s offices. Kylo glowers from the corner as what’s-her-name leads meetings with the dozen or so different floor managers, checking production numbers and inventory.

If he’s being honest, it’s a little overwhelming, and a _lot_ boring.

He’s allowed back to his own office by noon and passes Hux on the journey back. The COO looks just as exhausted as he does. The sight of him so distraught makes Kylo smile; at least he’s not the only one who’s suffering.

He motions for Bingley to follow him once he passes the PA’s desk. They scramble to their feet and trail behind him until they reach his office. Kylo throws himself into his chair and cracks his neck. Bingley hovers, looking concerned.

“Did he destroy anything?” Kylo asks, at last.

“Not for lack of effort.” Kylo is surprised to hear a note of annoyance in his PA’s voice. “He’s a…forceful man when he doesn’t get his way. I showed him some of the spreadsheets you were working on last week, but he didn’t seem to understand them.”

“Good.” The satisfaction pouring off of him makes Bingley venture a smile. “You’re dismissed for now.”

“Thank you, sir.” The PA nods. “Would you like me to get you some coffee, sir?”

Kylo freezes. One part of him wants to say no, wants to forbid Bingley from ever going back to Jakku Java again. Starbucks is an acceptable alternative and he’d be happy with a too-thin americano, thank you kindly.

Another part of him, however, is already drooling at the thought of warm, thick, perfectly made coffee.

“If you like,” he says, after a too-long period of silence.

Bingley has the grace not to look too concerned, but Kylo sees their eyebrow twitch. “Of course. I’ll get Ms. Phasma’s order, then, and be on my way. What would you like?”

The satisfaction from Hux’s struggle is already fading. “The same as always,” Kylo snaps, before directing his gaze to his computer. “Now go on. Make sure it’s still hot when you bring it back.”

“Sir, yes, sir.” If he didn’t know better, he’d think Bingley was being impertinent. He looks up to accuse his PA, but they’ve already disappeared. His door is left hanging open, with a sliver of light sneaking in from the hall.

Kylo’s will to keep his head up lasts for a total of eight seconds.

He realizes, with his head pressed against the mahogany, that he’s developing an addiction. It’s this, rather than all the things gone wrong about today, that irks him most; he should have better control. He knows Snoke would agree. For a moment, Kylo entertains the thought of running after Bingley, telling them that he changed his mind, that he didn’t need coffee today. His life would be much easier if he didn’t have to think of hazel eyes every time he needs a caffeine infusion, and it would be best to break the habit now.

Kylo Ren doesn’t move. A minute passes. Then another. Eventually, he sighs, and goes back to his spreadsheets.

There’s no point in fighting a battle he knows he’s going to lose.

Bingley returns about thirty minutes later and sets Kylo’s to-go cup on his desk. Kylo shoos them away and makes himself work for another fifteen minutes before taking a drink.

It’s as good as always, and it makes him want to curse.  

He swears to himself that he won’t visit the shop anymore. If he’s going to indulge himself, he’ll let Bingley serve as his shield; there’s no need for him to subject himself to more humiliation than he already has.

*

He keeps his word for longer than he expected: almost three whole days. Kylo grits his teeth through hours of operational nonsense and spreadsheets and meetings with Snoke until, on the last day of October, he breaks. He stumbles out of a meeting with Snoke and immediately moves for his things, throwing them into his briefcase. He bids goodbye to Bingley and Phasma, then lets his long legs carry him out the doors and up towards 77th street.

The relief that hits him as he walks is startling, but welcome. If he casts a smile down to the sidewalk, well, who’s to know but him?

***

Halloween surprises Rey with its suddenness. She finds herself standing on a chair stringing fake spider web throughout the shop’s front window without actually realizing what day it is. The not-quite-fabric sticks to her fingers as she thins it out, pinning it to a string she’s run up just below the upper window sill. She’s got half of it up when it hits her that, yes, today is Halloween and the last day of the month. Poe and Maz are baking ghost cookies in the kitchen. The shop’s lease is due tomorrow. She hasn’t bought any candy for trick-or-treaters.

Rey presses her forehead to the windowpane and sighs.

It’s not that Rey doesn’t like Halloween. It’s not her favorite holiday (that designation belongs firmly to Christmas), but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love it. She loves seeing the children dressed in their costumes, loves to give out candy while storing some away for herself. This year is even looking to be extra special: Maz has offered to make her ‘special’ apple cider before she leaves so the Damerons can take it home (and really, shouldn’t that have clued her in to the date?)

Rey pouts as she strings up another stretch of web, disappointed in herself. She’s been so caught up in the finances and work with the shop that she hadn’t paid attention, and now the night’s here and she hasn’t prepared.

Finn, hovering in the shop even though it’s his day off, sees her frown and tilts his head, asking a question without saying a word. They’ve gotten better at that, lately. Rey only shrugs, pasting a smile back on her face before returning her attention to the window.

That’s another thing to worry about, she thinks, pulling another string of web loose. Ever since _that day_ , Finn’s been shyer than normal, a little less ready to join in their fun and games. This means they’re more productive, of course, but it’s concerning. A part of her wants to corner him and ask him what’s wrong, but they’re not close enough for that yet. It’s probably best for her to follow her own advice, anyway, and wait for him to come to her. If he wants to talk, her ear will be ready. If not, then she can wait for things to improve on their own.

It’s midafternoon, and the shop is empty. Rey leans back to inspect her work. Poe is singing something frankly outrageous in the kitchen; his voice echoes into the front room and makes her laugh. She sees Finn crack a smile and, for a moment, feels light.

The next moment, the chair tips. Rey gasps and braces herself for a fall that never comes; the chair’s righted before she can hit the ground, and there’s a large hand planted in the middle of her back.

“Careful,” A familiar voice says. “You could’ve hurt yourself.”

It’s Ben making sure she’s steady on her feet, not Finn. Rey feels herself start to flush and quickly looks away.

“Thanks,” she says. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

Then Finn’s at her side, fussing over her and making she’s okay. She glances up and sees Ben backing away; he offers her a shrug before making his way over to the counter.

“Are you alright?” Finn asks, his voice low.

“I’m fine,” Rey says. “Go take care of him; I need to finish up here.”

He’s already moving towards the counter by the time she remembers that he’s not on the clock. She puts up the last of the web and puts away the chair before making her way back behind the counter. Poe’s made his way out of the kitchen, eyeing Finn with nervous hope.

“I kinda want to spit in his drink,” she hears Finn mutter.

“I’m not going to stop you.”

“But I am,” Rey says. She confiscates the drink with a roll of her eyes and finishes the order, leaving Finn and Poe to slink off to the kitchen. She doesn’t bother to call Ben’s name, as he’s the only one in the shop. He’s hovering by the counter, anyway; it’s quick and easy to pass his drink over.

“So,” Rey hears herself say. “What kind of job do you have that lets you out so early on a Friday?”

Ben looks surprised that they’re talking; if Rey’s being honest, she’s surprised, too.

“I’m higher up in the system than most where I work,” he says, with a flicker of pride. “I guess you could say I make my own hours.”

“And you wanted to go home early on Halloween?” Rey asks. “Are you going out tonight and need time to put on your costume?”

Ben raises an eyebrow. “I haven’t worn a costume in years.”

“That’s a shame; they’re fun.” The part of Rey’s brain that controls her mouth has clearly disconnected from the rest of her. “Though I haven’t dressed up recently, either. Easier to just go home and watch movies.”

“Is that what you’re planning to do, then?” Ben asks.

“Yup. _Beetlejuice_ and _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ , just like last year.”

“That’s quite a tradition.” His voice is so soft that she can’t tell if he’s mocking her or not. “You do that alone?”

“No. My brother and I share an apartment, so he usually watches them with me.” Rey shrugs and focuses her attention on a nearby mug.

The conversation dies an awkward death there, though Ben stays by the counter. Rey’s wondering if she should offer him a stool just as he walks away and sits at the table near the window. Rey watches him settle in before retreating to the kitchen, where Finn and Poe are hovering around Maz, begging her for a taste of her cookies.

“So,” Finn asks as she comes in. “How’s tall, dark, and creepy?”

“A little less creepy, a lot more awkward,” Rey says. She snags a cookie when Maz isn’t looking and takes a bite, idly wondering if the old woman _lets_ her get away with all her cookie-stealing.

“I still don’t like him,” Finn says; Poe nods in agreement.

Rey only shrugs. “I don’t blame you,” she says through another bite of cookie. “But hey, he’s alone on Halloween, just like we are.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Poe says. “Maybe it’s because nobody likes him. Or maybe he’s a serial killer who murders all of his party guests and stores them in meat lockers for fun.”

Rey lifts an eyebrow. Poe hesitates, then shrugs. “It could be a thing.”

Ben’s still at his table when she comes out of the kitchen; he stays there, engrossed in his computer, until five. Rey sends Maz home at the same time he starts packing up his things.

“I hope you have a good night!” she calls as he’s walking out the door. “Don’t steal candy from the trick-or-treaters!”

The look he gives her is half incredulous, half amused. He offers up a little wave before walking out the door, his long legs carrying him out of sight in moments. Rey watches him go, a strange knot forming in her belly.

Then Maz is at her side, squinting out the window and into the street. “Strange boy,” she says, looking away. “But not all bad, I don’t think.”

Rey doesn’t reply. Maz murmurs her goodbye and reminds them that her cider is in the mini-fridge beneath the counter. Poe presses a kiss to her cheek before she goes; she bats him away, but Rey can see her smiling.

They start closing up the shop soon after she’s left, even though Rey insists that she can do it on her own. Both Poe and Finn dismiss her, working in tandem to get things done before she can. They end up laughing, all three of them, as they struggle to leave the shop. Rey invites Finn over to watch movies with them both; he declines, albeit reluctantly. Rey watches Poe watch him walk down the street and smiles.

“Things seem better today,” she says in a low voice.

“Yeah,” Poe agrees. “I think they are.”

Rey climbs into the passenger seat of the Millennium Falcon and lets her mind wander as Poe starts the engine. She thinks about Ben with his hand on her back and wonders if she’ll ever be able to have a conversation with him that leans even halfway towards normal.

***

Kylo’s hand burns the entire time he’s in the shop. It dulls to a tingle when he starts walking home, but the feeling never completely fades.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is sympathy, a long walk, and friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I can't tell you how fun it is to read all of your comments; they show up in my inbox and make me giggle throughout the day. I'm glad you seem to like the story! Hope you don't mind more slow burn ;)

The first days of November at Jakku Java go like this:

The Halloween decorations come down the day after they’re put up. Rey makes Poe get up on the chair and pointedly does not glance at the shop door.

Business slows. On Saturday, Rey notes that they have fewer patrons than usual; on Sunday, there’s even fewer. Monday brings in a decent morning rush, but afterwards the shop is silent for hours.

BB makes an appearance on Tuesday both at the beginning and in the middle of the day. Rey has Finn make their usuals the first time while she chats with them, inviting them to come and stay after their work day is done. BB agrees, and they make plans for late afternoon. Rey is understandably confused, then, when BB returns at three looking much worse for wear.

“What’s going on?” she asks. BB looks like they’ve been run through the gambit and haven’t had a chance to catch their breath.

“My boss,” they moan, resting their head on the counter (for a moment, it’s convenient that the shop is empty.) “He ran through the office all day shouting his head off, then disappeared down to HR for what seemed like hours and left us alone with–” BB shivers. “Hux.”

Rey glances over her shoulder and sees Finn wince.

“Your coffee’s the only thing that can really calm him down,” BB continues. “He sent me out again to get him another americano.”

“Well maybe if he didn’t drink watered down espresso, he’d be in a better mood,” Finn grumbles. Rey elbows him in the ribs, her brow creased.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to come by tonight,” BB says mournfully. “He plans on keeping us all late in the office, the bastard.”

“Oh, no, BB.” Rey pouts. “What an ass. Here, let me make you something to keep you sane. On the house.” She punches in the americano before striding off, leaving Finn to complete the transaction. She lets the espresso machine run while she pulls BB’s treat together, frowning into the coffee.

BB doesn’t say much about their boss, and Rey doesn’t ask. All she knows at this point is that a) he’s high strung as hell and b) he likes thin, highly caffeinated coffee. Rey bites her lip, considering.

“Here you are,” she says, returning to the counter. “One americano, one white chocolate mocha, and two pumpkin cookies, fresh from the oven.”

BB looks ready to cry, their nose twitching as they sniffle. They hold the coffee almost reverently in their hands. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Rey reaches over the counter and pats them on the shoulder. “Give one of the cookies to your boss. Maybe it’ll help him calm down a bit.”

The look BB gives her is half doubt, half awe. They shake their head before starting away from the counter. “You have a good heart,” they say, smiling. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”

Rey does not blush. She waves as BB exits the shop, then goes to hide in the kitchen.

“What’re you doing?” Finn asks, poking his head in after her.

“I’m hiding,” she says, burying her face in her arms. “Go away.”

She hears him chuckle and feels his arm brush against hers as he sits. “I’m not going away,” he says. “Are you doing alright? You’re acting weirder than usual.”

“I’m fine,” Rey says. She lifts her head and offers Finn a small smile. “I’m just – I’m a bit of a mess right now, what with the shop and the lack of customers, and now I’m worried about BB and that hellish boss of theirs – ”

“Hey.” Finn wraps an arm around her shoulder. Normally she’d shrug him off, but the pressure is a comfort. “BB’s a fighter. They’ll make it through. You should hear ‘em whenever you’re not around; they’re a sass machine.” He chuckles. “If anyone can stand up to the assholes at Starkiller, it’s them.”

Rey leans into the embrace and sighs. “You’re probably right,” she says.

“Of course I’m right,” Finn replies. “When am I not right?”

That makes her giggle. Finn smiles and gives her shoulder a squeeze before heading back to the front of the shop. Rey stays in the kitchen for a while, listening to the gurgle of the coffee machine and the creaks of the stove.

She goes for a walk that night, leaving Poe to try and convince Finn to let him drive him home. The cool air feels good on her face and the light of the street lamps warms her soul.

She avoids the plaza but walks until the lights of the city outnumber the stars. It’s a little further than she normally goes, and the odd day of the week allows for emptier streets than she’s used to. Still, she doesn’t stop until the Astrobase insignia shines bright above her head.

It’s a beautiful building, she thinks, her pace slowing, with its reds and golds and greys. She feels her mouth curl into a frown and, for a moment, she’s inexplicably sad.

She doesn’t realize that she’s stopped moving until the cold starts biting into her cheeks. Rey pulls her coat tight around her and turns, ready to head home.

***

The first days of November at Astrobase go like this:

Kylo renews his efforts to avoid Jakku Java like the plague. He refuses to send Bingley out on Monday, instead lowering himself to office coffee mixed with copious amounts of sugar. He makes it through the day, but it’s a near thing. Darth seems to sense something is wrong and cuddles him when he returns home. It sort of helps.

Tuesday morning begins with an email from Snoke, instructing him to go and spend the day working in the HR department. Kylo promptly deletes the email, trashes his office, and instructs Bingley to go get him coffee. He grips the to-go cup tightly as he storms down to HR, where a too-amused Phasma is waiting.

He makes it until two before he gives up and goes back up to his own department. The sheer number of _people_ in HR would be enough to make him go crazy; speaking to them each individually is just – too much. Kylo putts around for fifteen minutes before caving and instructing Bingley to go back to Jakku Java for another round. The look on his face must be terrifying, because Bingley only squeaks before dashing from the office.

They leave his usual on his desk when they return, along with a pumpkin cookie that he’s ninety percent certain he didn’t ask for. When he asks them about it, they only shrug.

“I’m friends with one of the baristas,” they say. “She thought it might cheer you up.”

That makes him pause. To Kylo’s knowledge, there’s only one ‘she’ in the shop. He shoos Bingley from the office before the PA can see him blush. It takes him five minutes to pull himself together and get back to work.

She doesn’t know who he is, he reasons, as he reads over a spreadsheet. It’s just that she’s obnoxiously kind. His stomach ties itself into a knot and for a moment he’s certain he’s going to be sick.

He has his head on his desk when Bingley knocks on the door again, a few hours later. The PA comes in before he’s properly upright and appears to be hiding some concern.

“Are you alright, sir?”

“No,” Kylo grumbles. “I’m behind. What do you need?”

Bingley shifts from one foot to the other; Kylo grows impatient just watching them. “Spit it out!”

Bingley starts. “Well, sir, it’s just that – well, I have a meeting with some friends tonight and was hoping you could do without me for the rest of today.” They say this all rather fast; the speed leaves Kylo blinking and distinctly reminded of Mr. Pio. He turns around in his chair and casts his gaze out the large picture window.

Someone’s lingering by the front doors. He can barely see them, but they’re linger, and that’s enough to catch his attention.

“Sir?” Bingley asks.

Something about this person is annoyingly familiar. Kylo moves closer to the window and squints until reality hits him square in the chest.

“You can go,” he says, breezing past Bingley as he runs from the office. He can hear Bingley calling his name, but he doesn’t stop. It takes him three minutes to get down seven flights of stairs; he’s moving faster than he ever has before.

It’s not fast enough. By the time he bursts through Astrobase’s front doors, the woman from the coffee shop is gone.

The cold air hits him not a moment later. Kylo shivers but keeps looking, some vague hope in his chest sputtering like a candle flame. He gives up only when the cold wind becomes less of a nuisance and more of a pressing distraction.

He passes Bingley on his way back up to his office.

“Sir?” the PA asks, genuine worry lining their features. “Are you alright?”

Kylo opens his mouth, then closes it. “I’m fine, Bingley,” he says, at last. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”

Bingley stares at him like he’s lost his mind; Kylo chooses to ignore them. He marches straight back to his office and slams the door behind him.

He wonders if Jakku Java puts hallucinogens in their coffee. That’d make an excellent explanation for his behavior tonight, not to mention most of the past month.

***

Rey runs into BB on her walk home. Well, less ‘runs into’ and more ‘they drive past her on the street, turn around, and offer her a ride home’. She gladly clambers into their smart car, her profuse thanks halted only by the chattering of her teeth.

“What are you even doing down here?” BB chides. “I thought you lived north of the city, not in the middle of it.”

“I do,” Rey says. “I just like to go for walks, that’s all.”

BB grumbles and urges the car a little faster. Rey sighs. She’s used to the disapproval, but it won’t stop her from walking. Not even muggers can do that.

“I’m surprised you got off work,” she says, a moment later. “I thought your boss was keeping you all night.”

“I thought he was, too,” BB huffs. “But I think all the work is getting to him. He’s acting – I don’t even know what to call it.”

“What’s he done now?” Rey asks, trying to hide her smile. 

“I’m serious,” BB insists. “Right before I left he literally ran out of the office. Do you think he could be getting sick? Does illness make you lose your mind?”

“I know work does,” Rey grumbles. BB glances at her, concerned. Rey allows herself a smile. “But if he’s sick,” she says. “Doesn’t that mean you can take it a little easier?”

BB looks thoughtful. “I suppose so,” they say. A slow smile grows across their face, followed a moment later by a dreamy sigh. Rey can’t contain her fit of giggles.

Poe is delighted to see them both when they walk into the apartment. By some miracle he’s gotten Finn to come home with him, so the four of them are left scrambling to find something to eat. Rey eventually seizes the phone and leaves the three of them in the living room, arguing over pizza toppings and a movie to watch. Even with the distance, she ends up hanging up on the pizza place twice.

It’s a good night, anyway, she reasons. Once the pizza’s arrived, they all squeeze onto the too-small couch, elbows and knees flying. _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ is playing on the television; Finn ad-libs over the dialogue while Poe and BB roll their eyes. Rey cuddles into her brother’s side and sighs. For a moment, the world feels content.

***

There are three messages on Kylo’s phone when he bothers to check it, later that night. One is from his mother; Kylo deletes it without listening. The next is from Snoke. Kylo hesitates, then decides to put _that_ disaster off until the morning. The third is from an unknown number. He sighs and presses play.

 _Hello, boss,_ Blake Bingley’s voice says. _I just wanted to make sure you made it out of the office alright. Thanks for letting me go home early. Hope you’re doing well. Gnight!_

There’s ambient noise in the background of the message; Bingley’s friends, if Kylo is to guess. An inexplicable sadness strikes him; his apartment, save for Darth’s occasional snuffles, is silent.

Kylo stares at his phone for a long time and doesn’t delete the message. 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a nasty conversation, an interesting encounter, chocolate, and lots of overthinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Giving you this chapter a little bit early because you're all awesome (and because I really want to get the next chapter up. You're gonna love it, trust me.) Thank you so much for all of the kind comments! I'm not joking when I tell you that getting them brightens my day. 
> 
> Note: There's a really brief mention of blood in this chapter. Super brief. If that bothers you, though, heads up.

A night’s worth of rest does not make Snoke’s message any less painful.

 _Kylo,_ he says, his sharp voice distorted by speakers. _I would like to have a private meeting with you in my office tomorrow. I’ve received reports that your work in the HR department yesterday was…less than satisfying. It seems we have much to discuss_.

Kylo deletes the message and lets his head fall back onto his pillow. He considers not going into work before duty (and Darth’s insistent snuffling) pulls him from the sheets.

He’s later than usual in arriving to the office, having taken the time to actually eat before coming in. Bingley is hovering by his office door when he walks in, their face drawn tight. Kylo only raises an eyebrow as he unlocks the door. His PA trails in after him, silent.

“What is it, Bingley?” Kylo asks, taking his seat.

The PA actually winces at the sound of their name leaving Kylo’s mouth. “Well,” they say. “Mr. Snoke left a message for you with me, sir, to remind you of your meeting with him today.”

“I already knew about that.” Kylo frowns. None of the nervousness has abated. “What else is there?”

“Uh, nothing important,” Bingley stutters. Kylo resists the urge to groan and tries to fight back the headache he feels already building.

“If it’s not important, you can leave.”

“Are you okay, sir?”

The phrases interrupt one another and hang in the air. Kylo blinks, startled. Bingley looks ready to faint.

“I’m fine,” Kylo says, after a moment. “Why do you ask?”

If Bingley gets any paler, he may have to call an ambulance. “It’s just – well, you’ve seemed – oh, never mind, it’s just my imagination, I’m sorry, sir –”

That’s enough of that. “Bingley,” Kylo growls. “Get out of my office.”

The speed with which Bingley leaves is just as startling as their outburst. Kylo frowns at the still-closing door and sighs.

It’s going to be long day. Again.

He spends an hour at his desk preparing himself before heading up to Snoke’s office. Ree doesn’t bother to greet him when he arrives. She keeps her gaze on her computer when he walks past, her mouth pulled into a sneer. Kylo does her a courtesy and does not say hello.

He stops in front of the CEO’s door and hesitates.

“I know you’re out there, Kylo. Come in.”

His heart is hammering in his chest. Kylo takes a deep breath, then opens the door.

The office is, per usual, dark. Kylo wrinkles his nose as the smell of smoke hits him. For a man already in a wheelchair, Snoke seems keen on dismantling himself, be it one vice at a time.

“Ah, Kylo.” The dark figure behind the desk motions towards an empty chair. “Have a seat.”

Kylo does. The red embers from Snoke’s cigarette flash in the darkness, the only light to break through the gloom.

The office steeps in silence.

“I’m rather disappointed in you, my boy,” Snoke says, at last, pulling his cigarette from his mouth. “Ms. Phasma reports that not only were you incompetent while touring the HR department, but that you also left the post far earlier than I had instructed.”

“This is true,” Kylo admits at once. “With the month end reports coming in, I believed it would be best for me to be at my normal post.”

Snoke takes another drag from his cigarette. Kylo feels himself shrivel under the man’s gaze. “You were not incorrect in your thinking, though any extended effort on your part seems to have gone amiss,” Snoke says. “The numbers report was a mess.”

“My apologies, sir.”

“Your apologies will not substitute for success, boy!” Snoke says. Kylo’s only heard him raise his voice twice in the whole seven years he’s been employed by the man; it’s growing louder by the moment. “William Hux is proving to be quite the competent leader while you are floundering in the dirt. Did I not train you myself? You should be better than this, Kylo Ren, better than all of them!”

The cigarette is put out with a fiery flourish. Kylo flinches but does not respond.

“You’re extremely disappointing, boy,” Snoke says. “Unless you can pull a remarkable turn of success out from the mangled mop of yours, consider yourself out of the running for my position. Furthermore, if you fail me again, you’ll find yourself severely demoted.”

“I understand, sir,” Kylo says, his eyes on the ground. “Thank you, sir.”

He feels Snoke staring at him, hears the man’s disappointed huff. “Get out of my office.”

Kylo goes. He slinks back to his office and locks the door behind him, sitting in silence before opening a spreadsheet and letting the numbers dull his mind.

Bingley knocks on his door at noon and asks, through the wood, if he’d like them to go get him coffee. Kylo hesitates before opening the door. His too-loyal assistant looks scared when he appears, but steadfast, all the same.

“Not today, Bingley,” Kylo says. “I’ll go and get it myself.”

For a second, he thinks Bingley looks disappointed. Then they nod and move back towards their desk. Kylo tries not to think too hard about the ordeal.

He leaves Astrobase with his coat wrapped tight around his shoulders and a sense of despair riding in his chest. He hopes the walk to the coffee shop will clear his head. It’s not like it could make anything _worse_.

***

Rey paces through Jakku Java’s kitchen. She can feel Maz watching her as she walks, the older woman’s gaze heavy on her already overburdened shoulders. It’s just the two of them today; Poe was scheduled to work, but after two hours of no patrons, Rey called him and told him not to come.

“We’re not going to make enough to survive the month,” she mutters, knowing Maz can hear her. The older woman doesn’t reply, supposedly engrossed in another book. Rey keeps pacing.

“Why did I think I could do this?” Rey says. “How is our coffee any better than anywhere else’s? It’s probably not. Maybe it’s our location. Maybe it’s the cold.”

“It’s not the pastries,” Maz says. Rey looks over at her with an exasperated smile.

“No,” she agrees, eyeing the chocolate chip cookies Maz has made with longing. “It’s definitely not the pastries.”

“Chin up, girl.” Maz smiles and passes her a cookie. “There’s always hope to be found. One lousy week isn’t enough to send this old place packing.”

“I certainly hope not,” Rey says. She resumes her pacing and takes a bite of her cookie. “Maybe if I start putting Christmas decorations up, we’ll attract more people?”

“It would help the mood.” Maz agrees.

The shop’s doorbell chimes. Rey shoves the rest of the cookie in her mouth and is still chewing as she approaches the counter.

It takes her a moment to realize who’s standing on the other side. “Ben?”

Tall, Dark, and Confusing is back again. “Hello,” he says. Rey tilts her head; he looks exhausted. There are bags under his eyes that could rival hers and there’s a defeat in the hunch of his shoulders that she’s not seen before.

“What’s the matter?” she asks, without thinking.

Ben starts. “It’s nothing,” he says, and all at once, he’s back to normal. Rey relaxes as the usual self-righteous fire re-enters his eyes.

“Right,” she says, letting the subject drop. “Then what can I get you today?”

Ben glances up at the menu. Rey takes advantage of his distraction and looks him over. He’s unusually well-dressed today – but then again, he always is. He said, once, that he was higher up in a local company; maybe he works for a bank? She’s so busy staring at him that she nearly misses his coffee order.

“Grande hot chocolate with a shot of espresso. And one of those cookies. Please.” There’s a nervous twinkle in his eye that makes her stomach flop over on itself. Rey rings up the order without a word and reaches out for his credit card. Their fingers brush. It feels like she’s been burned.

“I’ll have that for you in just a moment,” she says, passing the card back. This time they’re both careful, each of them touching as little of the card as possible.

She doesn’t know what to make of this man.

He lingers by the counter, like he always does, watching her as she makes his drink. It’s not until she hears a soft laugh that she dares to look up.

“What?”

“What’s your name?” he asks. “We’ve run into each other enough that I might as well know.”

His tone makes her raise an eyebrow. “I’m Rey,” she says. His milk has finished steaming; she moves to get the chocolate syrup.

“Rey,” he repeats as she stirs it in. “Nice name.”

“Thanks,” she says, voice dry. “I like it pretty well, myself.”

Ben chuckles; Rey adds his shot of espresso and finds that she’s smiling, too.

She excuses herself for a moment to get him a cookie. In the kitchen she finds Maz staring a hole in her book, using the pages to hide a small smile. Rey eyes the older woman suspiciously before walking back to the front, cookie in hand.

“Alright: one hot chocolate with espresso and a chocolate chip cookie,” she says, passing the order over the counter. Ben takes them in hand, and she finds herself staring; she knew his hands were big, but not _that_ big.

“Thank you,” he says. He turns to go, but seems to stop himself and turn back. Rey tilts her head.

“Rey?” he says. She feels something deep within her start to quake.

“Yes?”

Ben smirks. “You have chocolate all over your mouth.”

With that, he goes. Rey stays stock still until he’s out of sight, painfully aware of the blush flaming across her cheeks. Then she runs to the kitchen.

She takes a napkin from the counter and swipes it across her mouth, rubbing hard enough to draw blood. Eyes closed, she wills the redness out of her cheeks. The taste of iron on her tongue brings her back to herself.

Maz doesn’t say a word.

Rey throws away her napkin and takes a deep breath, trying to ignore the older woman’s smirk. “Don’t tell my brother about that,” she orders.

“About what, dear?” Maz asks, turning another page in her book. “I didn’t see a thing.”

***

There’s something wrong with him. Ben – Kylo, Kylo finds himself smiling at the cup he’s carrying in his hand, burden lighter than it has been all day. That, however, is not what clued him in; oh, no. _That_ distinction belongs to his traitorous heart, which stuttered – _stuttered_ – when his fingers brushed against hers (Rey’s. He has her name now, too, and it makes his heart beat harder; her name is _Rey_.)

This makes no sense; no sense at all. Something’s wrong with him, clearly, and he needs to do something about it. Kylo reminds himself (again) that it’s probably related to the shop and that he shouldn’t go there anymore; that he needs to tell BB to find another coffee shop. He repeats this, over and over, before taking a sip of hot chocolate.

It’s delicious.

He hates it.

Bingley looks relieved when he comes back to the office. They smile at him as he walks by, and the same madness from before makes Kylo smile back. He barricades himself in his office after that, too frightened of himself to do anything but work. The hot chocolate sits on the corner of his desk, dwindling until there’s nothing left.

The cookie is somehow still warm when he goes to eat it. He takes a bite and a thought spikes through his brain: specks of chocolate spattered over the barista’s – Rey’s – lips, tucked into the corners of her smile. He’d wanted to reach out and wipe them away, to taste them in his mouth, tp maybe lean forward and chase them from her lips –

Kylo nearly chokes.

He deliberates not eating the rest of the cookie, but his growling stomach takes priority over his pride. Kylo keeps his mind deliberately blank as he takes another bite, turning his attention back to his computer screen. He’s a grown man, the CFO of a successful company. He is not distracted by pretty girls with obscene amounts of chocolate on their lips.

He’s not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will these two idiots ever get out of their heads and get their acts together? Who knows? (Me. I know. I know it all and really, I just want to shake them.) XOXO


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are grocery lists, devious schemes, embarrassing situations, and tentative discoveries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *glances at clock* It's getting to be pretty early in the morning, and I'm fussing. If something's dreadfully wrong, I'll fix it later. Thanks for all of the lovely comments, folks, really. Some of you have left super detailed ones and it has been a delight to read them. Seriously. I hope you all enjoy the latest installment! *wanders off to go find a pillow*

Business picks up on Friday. Rey’s in the middle of her day off when she gets a call from Poe, informing her that they’ve had more patrons in the past five hours than they have in the whole week.

“That’s amazing!” She squeals into the receiver.

“I know!” Poe agrees. “Look, I don’t have long, but I think we should celebrate. You, me, some beer, good eats – sound like a plan?”

“That sounds brilliant.” Rey laughs. She’ll have to go to the grocery store, if that’s the case, but she’s happy enough that she can’t bring herself to complain.

“I’m going to try and bring Finn with me.” Poe whispers. “Is that alright with you?”

Rey pretends to think for a moment, her smile softening into something fond. “Of course it’s alright.” She tells him. “Now get back to work, you lazy scoundrel.”

Poe calls her something rude before hanging up, his laughter echoing across the line. Rey chuckles as she sets her phone aside, turning her attention back to the computer resting in her lap.

It may be her day off, but she’s still doing a bit of work. Most of the ‘how-to’ business books she’s read suggest making a blog for your small business in order to make yourself seem more personable. She’s trying it out, looking over websites and playing with themes while cursing her lack of mastery over the code. She decided to learn, though, and she’s not one for giving up. Rey brushes her hair out of her face as she gets back to work, nimble fingers plucking at the keys.

Poe calls again around three and tells her that BB stopped in, and that he’d invited them over, too. Rey sighs and decides to put away her computer. The grocery store awaits, with all its bounty. Rey takes a quick shower and brushes her teeth before preparing to go, the urge to stall outweighed only by her good mood. She borrows one of Poe’s jackets before steeling herself and stepping out into the cold November air, ready to conquer the grocery store and anything else the world decides to throw her way.

***

It’s not a bad day, Kylo decides, for a Friday. He’s been calm enough to leave the door to his office open all morning, a feat that’s not been achieved for weeks. The office chatter washes over him and keeps him focused on his work, until suddenly it’s two, and his stomach is growling.

The temptation to go out and get coffee himself is almost overwhelming. He sends Bingley out to get it, instead, and praises himself for his self-control.

“Ask your friend at the coffee shop if they make sandwiches.” He tells them before they go, trying to sound offhand. Bingley smiles at him – actually smiles – before heading on their way.

He should really do something about that. Kylo stalks around the office for the half hour Bingley is gone, remembering the days where he barely warranted a glance, let alone a smile.

Phasma finds him mid-walk and falls into step beside him. “I haven’t seen you since you tried to fire half my department.”

“Half of your department _needs_ firing.” Kylo grumbles. “It’s better for my blood pressure if I stay away.”

Phasma snorts. She’s in keen form today, he notes; hell, she’s practically smiling. There must be something in the air.

“So you’re going out with us tonight, right?”

Kylo raises an eyebrow. “Going out?”

Phasma returns his look with one of her own. “You’ve been hiding from us, little wren. Booze will do you good, get you talking. Maybe it’ll explain why you’ve been having Bingley buy me coffee every other day for the past month. And always from the same place, too.” She taps her lips and smiles.

“Consider it a thank you.” Kylo grunts. “Bingley is not complete incompetent. I – appreciate your assistance in finding them.”

“Oh, don’t strain yourself.” Phasma scoffs. “Tonight. Drinks. We’re leaving at five. Meet me at the elevator.”

“And who’s ‘we’?” Kylo asks as she veers away.

“The usual crowd. You, me, Hux, some girls from IT.”

Kylo flinches at the sound of Hux’s name, but if Phasma notices, she doesn’t comment. She offers him a mocking salute before slipping around the corner, their conversation over.

Kylo makes his way back to his office and finds his coffee waiting for him on his desk. He savors it before throwing himself back into his work.

The three remaining hours before shift end pass quickly. Kylo shuts down his computer and finds Phasma lingering by the elevator, her face blank but somehow still lined with determination. They get into the elevator together and stand in silence as it slinks up to the eighth floor. Hux joins them for the ride down.

There’s a tension in the air, but it eases out the closer they get to the ground. Kylo does his best not to sigh. The three of them may not like one another (at least, not in the typical sense), but their mutual love for alcohol seems to bring them through even the worst of strain. Two of the IT girls join them on the second floor. The five of them strut out of the elevator together, the women’s heels clacking against the cold stone floor. Kylo thinks he sees Phasma crack a smile.

They all climb into Hux’s car: a pretty monster of a thing with an engine that would make an eco-warrior faint. He and Phasma immediately start to argue over which bar they should go to; Kylo, from the middle of the back seat (oh, the cons of being long-legged), demands that they compromise and _drive already, dammit_. He sees Hux smirk at him in the rearview mirror, and Kylo scowls back.

The bar they agree on is called The Hutt and is run by the only man in town slimier than Snoke. He greets the five of them personally when they walk through the door, then guides them to a table and takes their orders with an enthusiasm that’s frankly frightening. Phasma orders some concoction called a Flaming Lamborghini; the two IT girls order Lemon Drops. Hux and Kylo share nervous glances before both ordering beers, though Hux puts down a side order for something called a Fidel Castro.

“So,” Phasma says from her spot between the girls. “Kylo, Hux. Which one of you would like to tell me why Snoke has you running through the departments like wild crocodiles on cocaine?”

Kylo loses some of his drink to a spit take. Hux doesn’t look too far behind.

“We can’t tell you that.” Kylo hears Hux say, too busy wiping beer off his chin to answer. “It’s under need-to-know classification.”

Phasma rolls her eyes as she takes a sip of her drink. “Right.” She says, setting the glass down. “Now tell me the truth.”

“That is the truth.” Kylo says, trying his best to sound bored. “And even if we could tell you, we wouldn’t.”

“Right. Because you two are so close.”

To Kylo’s surprise, Hux laughs. “Just because we’re not close doesn’t mean we don’t want the same thing. Isn’t that right, Kylo?” His smile drips with grease; it hurts Kylo’s stomach to summon one in response.

Phasma looks between the two of them, her eyes narrowed. “Are you sleeping together?” She asks, and thus seals the death of Kylo’s beer. Hux slams him on the back as he coughs, looking fairly green himself. Phasma and her girlfriends are all too busy laughing to speak.

“Definitely not.” Kylo rasps, setting his empty bottle aside.

“Not if he was the last man on earth.” Hux agrees.

“Oh, boys.” Phasma says. The fondness in her voice is a surprise, and a bit disturbing.

Kylo insists that she buy him another drink, given that she was responsible for the waste of his first. Phasma obliges him and orders something called an Afterglow. It’s bright orange and sweeter than Kylo usually likes, but he knows better than to waste a free drink. Hux mocks him as he sips on the straw, but Kylo tells himself it’s less out of disdain and more out of jealousy that Phasma didn’t buy _him_ a drink. It’s a cheering thought.

Once he’s finished the first, Phasma buys him another. This time, he forgoes the straw altogether.

Things start getting a little blurry after that. 

***

The fruits of Rey’s grocery store labor consist of the following:

-Two bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips

-Two bags of corn chips

-One twenty ounce tub of guacamole

-A bag of jumbo sized marshmallows

-Graham crackers

-A dozen fried chicken legs

-Two six-packs of beer

-A six-pack of rootbeer

-Butterscotch schnapps

She lays her prizes out on their too-small kitchen table and stands back to admire them. There’s a seventy five percent chance that it’ll be enough food for the four of them. If it’s not, she’ll send Poe out for more. There’s nothing on the planet that will get her back to the grocery store today.

The clock above the stove reads five thirty. Her mind wanders as she puts everything away until it brushes over Ben. She wonders if he visited the shop, or if he asked where she was. As soon as the thought crosses her mind, she shoves it down, hard. No need to be thinking things like that; they’re not important, or even realistic. Rey busies herself with the rest of the groceries and focuses on anything _except_ the shop and a pair chocolate brown eyes.

(If there’s a flush crawling up the back of her neck, well, then it’s a good thing that there’s no one there to see it.)

Rey pulls out her phone and checks it for messages in an attempt to distract herself. Finn’s texted, announcing his ‘unexpected’ visit; Rey rolls her eyes but thanks him for letting her know. She’ll have to talk with Poe one of these days about whatever it is they have going on now. He’s backed off, like he said he would, and for that she’s proud. Finn seems to have relaxed back into their circle, too. Rey hums happily and sets aside her phone. It’s nice when everyone gets along, even if they do all drive each other mad.

BB texts her a short time later (Poe must have given them her number) and lets her know that they’ll be coming by after work.

_Your boss isn’t being too hard on you today?_ She asks.

It takes a while for them to get back to her. _No, he’s already gone. C u soon!_

Rey smiles. She worries about BB, gentle soul that they are. It’s good that they can get time away from their boss; the man sounds like a slave driver. Rey shudders and busies herself about the kitchen before settling back on her computer. She doesn’t envy BB, even if they are getting paid more than her.

The apartment is quiet for the next thirty minutes or so. Then Poe and Finn arrive, and their Friday night begins in earnest.

Finn’s brought a tub of salsa and Maz has sent two gallons of her ‘special’ apple cider (it’s special, they’ve all decided, because it’s so damn delicious; Poe thinks it’s infused with cocaine while Finn swears up and down it’s illegal in twelve different countries. They asked her once, after Halloween, how she made it. Maz hadn’t responded, only smiled.) Poe swears that he invited her, too, but that she apparently declined.

“She said she spends enough time around us already, and that any more might actually kill her.” He says. “But she was smiling when she said it, so I think she was kidding. Maybe.”

BB arrives just after they’ve broken into the guacamole. They’ve stopped at the grocery store, too, apparently, and present the group with three six-packs of pudding cups. Rey laughs as Finn tries to kiss them, only to be batted away by BB’s frantic hands. She glances at her brother and sees him fight back a flash of jealousy. Rey throws him a wink and, after a moment, he relaxes.

The next several hours are a mess of food and drink. Maz’s cider is finished off first, somewhere between a game of Chubby Bunny and Finn waxing poetic about gummy bears. They argue over a movie to watch before BB unceremoniously picks _Mean Girls_ , revealing that they can, in fact, quote the whole thing. Rey stares in open admiration while Poe and Finn laugh themselves sick. BB holds their head high and does a mean impression of Regina George, which makes them all laugh harder.

Midnight’s come and gone before things start to wind down. They’ve put on _Howl’s Moving Castle_ and are cooing over the animation when BB’s phone starts to ring. BB excuses themselves to the hall, an eyebrow raises as they stare at their phone. Rey watches them go before shrugging and turning back to the television, unwilling to move from her spot between Finn and Poe.

***

Kylo is alone, confused, and drunk.

Somewhere between his third and fourth Afterglow and a shot of what tasted like straight whipped cream, he’d lost Hux, then lost Phasma to her two IT girls. He’d sat alone as the night went on, watching as the crowd doubled, then tripled in size. He’d finished his last drink by the time the dancing had started and had decided to cut his losses while he could.

Now he’s outside, cursing his coworkers and his own bad judgement as he shivers in the cold. The wind, while bitter, is at least sobering. His hands are steady as he types out a text to Phasma, demanding to know where she is and why they’ve left him alone.

He waits fifteen minutes for a response, but his phone remains silent. Kylo stares at the screen and sighs, weighing his remaining options.  

Texting Hux is out, as is texting the girls they came with; he doesn’t know their names, let alone their phone numbers. In a last ditch effort to find his coworkers, Kylo walks up and down the street, searching for Hux’s monster of a car.

It’s nowhere in sight.

His hands start to shake, anger burying itself deep in his stomach. Kylo leans against the outside of the building and scrolls through his phone, looking for someone – anyone – he can call and get a ride home from. Some part of his brain made darker by drink sniggers, sarcastically remarking on his wealth of friends. Were he more sober and less belligerent, Kylo thinks he’d be agreeing with it.

One name pops up, near the top of his call list. Kylo squints at it, reading and rereading the name until the matching face appears in his head. Shame nearly stops him from dialing, but it’s cold, and he’s drunk. Kylo presses the phone to his ear and listens as Blake Bingley’s dial tone buzzes through his brain.

***

BB rejoins the party with the oddest look on their face. Rey tears her eyes from the television and tilts her head, asking a question without saying a word.

“That was my boss.” BB says weakly. “He’s – well, he’s drunk and needs help getting home.”

One of the boys mutes the television; all three of them are staring now. Rey can see BB starting to flush under their combined gaze.

“Your boss.” Poe says.

“Your asshole boss.” Finn says.

BB nods, looking just as confused as the rest of them.

“Leave him.” Finn says, in a voice devoid of all his usual warmth. Rey twists to look at him and sees that his expression has gone dark.

“I’m not going to leave him.” BB insists. “It’s just – this is weird, you know?”

Poe, at least, hums in understanding.

Rey looks between the three of them, then settles on BB. “So,” she says, pushing herself upright with a sigh. “Did your boss at least say where he was?”

BB nods. “It’s a bar downtown, one I’ve been to before. I know how to get there.”

Rey stretches and nods her head. “You’re not going alone. Get your coat and keys; we’ll rescue your boss together.”

This sparks resistance almost at once; both Poe and Finn are on their feet, asking her not to go. Rey rolls her eyes and shares a pointed look with BB, who slips from the room in search of their coat.

“You shouldn’t go.” Poe insists. “What if this guy tries to hurt you? What is he tries to kill you?”

“For all you know, he could.” Finn says darkly. “He does work at Starkiller.”

“ _You_ worked at Starkiller, and you’re certainly not a murderer.” Rey snaps. “And I am perfectly capable of handling myself.”

There’s another reason she’s doing this, really, but she’s not going to say it out loud. She sees Poe slide a tentative glance towards Finn and tries not to sigh. If they’re going to make any progress in their little dance for two, she needs to get out of the way. BB returns and silently passes her Poe’s coat. She slips it on, ignoring their nonsense as she turns away.

“You have your keys?”

“Of course.” BB nods. They glance at the boys with a look half fond, half agitated. “You do realize that even if she can’t handle this guy, I can. Right?”

That makes them fall quiet at once. Rey rolls her eyes and pulls Finn into a hug, then kisses her brother on the cheek.

“Don’t have too much fun while we’re gone.” She says, heading for the door. “We’ll text if there’s any trouble.” She links arms with BB and glides out the door before the protesting can resume.

“You did that on purpose.” BB says, halfway down the stairs.

Rey can’t help herself; she smiles. “I did.” She says. “Let’s just hope they can work things out by the time we get back.”

BB chuckles and then guides her to the car, half-pushing her into the passenger’s seat before climbing in themselves.

The drive to The Hutt takes less time than Rey thought it would, but then again, she’s used to traveling by foot. It’s a garish looking bar; its neon lights smash against one another like they’re doing battle instead of advertising. BB asks her to stay in the car while they go find their boss before sliding out, a frown on their face.

Rey watches as they disappear from sight, careful to lock the doors behind them.

***

There’s a hand on Kylo’s arm. He automatically shrugs the stranger off, curling his lips back into a snarl.

“Boss, boss, it’s okay!” A familiar voice says. “It’s me, Blake! You called me, remember?”

“Blake?” Kylo’s brow furrows. His head his pounding and the world seems to have gone a bit sideways. “Bingley?”

The stranger takes the opportunity to reattach themselves to his arm. “Yes, Bingley. Now come on, we need to get you home.”

Bingley’s face comes swimming into view, distorted by the lights and alcohol. Kylo stumbles after them as they guide him down the street to a car that looks too small to be real. There’s a girl waiting in the front seat; for some inexplicable reason, Kylo thinks she looks familiar.

“Here we are.” Bingley knocks on the car window, and the locks click. They open the back door of the car and gently push Kylo inside. Kylo falls into the seat with all the grace of a newborn giraffe, scrambling to push himself upright. The girl – woman – is looking back, her eyes unnaturally wide.

“Stop staring at me.” Kylo says as he struggles with his seatbelt. “You look really familiar.” The backseat of the smart car is really, really too small for him, but beggers can’t be choosers. He’s not inclined to walk home tonight.

Bingley has found their way into the driver’s seat; Kylo redirects his focus on them. “She looks really familiar.”

“She works at Jakku Java.” Bingley says. “She’s my friend.”

“ _He’s_ your boss?” The woman says, and suddenly it clicks: the woman is Rey. Rey is in Bingley’s car, helping them pick Kylo up from the bar his coworkers abandoned him at. Kylo groans and buries his face in his hands.

“Yeah.” Bingley says, and Kylo can hear the confusion in their voice. “This is –”

“Ben!” Kylo shouts, looking up. Rey looks like she’s winced, maybe he’s being loud. He really can’t tell. “My name is Ben. Isn’t it, Bingley? Tell her my name is Ben.”

“Exactly how much have you had to drink tonight?” Rey asks, wonder coloring her voice. Kylo doesn’t bother to reply; he sticks his tongue out at her instead. Bingley chokes and spends the next several moments trying to clear their throat.

“Okay, _Ben_.” They say, once they’ve regained their ability to breathe. “Can you tell me your address? We need to get you home.”

Kylo rattles off a line of numbers that he thinks is correct and waits while Bingley plugs them into their phone. All the while, he stares at Rey, who now seems determined to ignore him. The neon lights from The Hutt make her eyes seem like they’re glowing. Kylo finds himself leaning forward and momentarily has enough sense to pull himself back.

Then the car starts moving. Any thoughts of romance are pushed from Kylo’s mind as the _motherfucking ocean_ takes over his stomach.

“BB?” He hears Rey say. “We may want to open a window.”

To his complete surprise, Bingley starts to curse. The window nearest him slides open; Kylo leans his head out and prays that the cool night air will keep him from making an even bigger fool of himself.

They make it to his apartment complex without incident. Bingley parks the car and glares – actually fucking _glares_ – at Kylo as he forces himself out of their car. Rey is hovering nearby, and if he’s being honest, she’s not really helping; he’s getting drunker just being around her. He stumbles and both Bingley and Rey go to catch him. Rey’s hands feel small where they rest on his arm. He looks at her, wide-eyed. “You’re so tiny.”

She rolls her eyes, but he swears, in the yellow light of the street, that he sees her blush.

“Okay, come on now.” He hears Bingley say, but he’s really only half listening. He can’t seem to stop _staring_ at Rey because, really, she’s lovely. Smeared eyeliner, smeared lipstick: she’s a beautiful collage of blurs. Kylo’s staring at her mouth and has a startling thought: who was it who smeared her lipstick like that? Was it Bingley? He turns to glower at his PA, but finds them already looking at him with one eyebrow pointedly raised. Kylo decides it’d be best not to speak and goes back to staring at Rey.

It takes them fifteen minutes to get up the stairs and another five to actually find his apartment. Bingley is the one to fish his keys out of his pocket, leaving Rey to support him while they wrestle with his door. He can hear thumping on the other side and groans; of course Darth would still be up.

“What’s that noise?” Rey asks, her voice edging higher.

“It’s just my stupid dog.” Kylo grumbles. Bingley pushes the door open and is immediately pounced on; Darth, in all his fierce glory, seems to declare the PA a friend at once. Kylo lets Rey lean him up against the nearby wall as she dives to Bingley’s rescue, guiding Darth back inside with promises of food. Bingley wipes dog drool off their face and pins Kylo with another glare.

“I want a raise for this.” They say as they loop his arm around their shoulders. “And a nicer desk.”

“Can give you the raise.” Kylo slurs. “But not the desk.”

Darth and Rey are playing in the living room. Rey, it seems, serves as a brilliant distraction not only to Kylo, but also to his dog. Darth’s abandoned all dignity and is showing her his belly while she lavishes him with attention, and for the second time that night, Kylo is wildly jealous. He thinks Bingley can tell, because the PA snorts before depositing him on his couch.

“I’m going to find him some painkillers.” He hears Bingley say. “You keep distracting that beast, and then we’ll be on our way.”

“Aw, are you not a dog person?” Rey teases. Kylo closes his eyes and lets her voice wash over him as she goes back to cooing at his dog. This is something he could get used to, he decides. All at once there’s something soft against his head; he opens his eyes and finds himself lying face down on the couch.

Cool hands caress his scalp. He lets them move his head so he’s face not suffocating on couch cushion and finds Rey attached to them, her face some combination of amused, concerned, and annoyed. “Don’t lie like that.” She says.

“I didn’t lie.” Kylo replies. “I’m not – I’m not lying.” He hears Bingley snort again. “Shut up!”

“I meant on your face.” Rey says dryly. “We don’t want you choking on your own vomit if you throw up.”

“Or on the couch cushions.” Kylo mutters. He sees Rey hide a smile as she turns away and smiles himself; this counts as a success. She wanders off, probably to join Bingley in the kitchen, and is replaced by Darth. The dog shoves his face next to Kylo’s and licks his nose; Kylo, unable to move, finds it impossible to stop him.

Rey returns with a trash can and shoos Darth away. Kylo opens his mouth to thank her, but the words stick in his throat.

Bingley flickers into sight, a glass of water in one hand and a pill jar in the other. “Should we move him to the bedroom?”

“Bedroom?” He hears Rey say, and isn’t that an interesting train of thought? If he were sober, he’d be able to pursue it properly, but now all he can do is stare at Rey and think, yes, I wouldn’t mind showing you my bedroom.

“My bed’s really nice.” His mouth says. Both Rey and Bingley look down at him; Rey’s cheeks have turned a lovely shade of red. Kylo smiles crookedly at them both and attempts to wink. He fails.

“Oh my god.” Bingley whispers. “You’re a mess.”

“I’m drunk.” Kylo says. “I’m allowed to be a mess.”

“Okay, we’re putting you to bed and then we’re leaving.” The PA says. They disappear, probably to put the water and pills on Kylo’s nightstand. Rey continues to hover over him, though he notices that she’s pointedly not looking at him anymore.

“It really is a nice bed.” He says.

“That’s great.” Rey says. Her voice sounds like it’s trembling. Kylo frowns. He’ll scare off whatever’s making her scared; he’s tall, he can do things like that.

Then Bingley returns, and the two of them are heaving Kylo upright once more. Kylo can’t feel his feet anymore, which makes the journey all the more difficult. About halfway down the hall, Darth decides that they’re playing a fun game without him and decides to join in, running between their legs and trying to knock them all to the ground. Kylo stumbles more than once and has to lean heavily on Rey to stay upright (well, he doesn’t have to, but he does it anyway). He feels Rey struggling beneath him and enjoys the feeling of her hands on his arm.

To his great disappointment, neither of his saviors suggest undressing him after they throw him onto his bed. Bingley does lift his feet up and drape a blanket over him, however, and Rey fetches the trash can out of the living room. Kylo moans his thanks to both of them, but it comes out more as gibberish than actual gratitude. He thinks that’s about on par, for him.

“Do you think it’s safe to leave him here all night?” He hears Rey say. “What if he throws up and chokes to death?”

“Then I can find a better boss.” Bingley says.

“Excuse me.” Kylo manages to lift his head and glare at his PA. “I’m right here.”

“I’m aware.” For all their snark, he can see Bingley smiling.

The two of them linger in his bedroom for a moment longer, seemingly locked in some silent debate. Kylo’s half asleep when Bingley wishes him goodnight and disappears from the room. He opens his eyes and sees a familiar flash of hazel peering down at him from above.

“Goodnight, Ben.” A gentle voice says. “Stay alive until morning.”

“You’re an angel.” He slurs, then slips into unconsciousness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey hates the grocery store because I hate the grocery store. That's how these things work. Hope you enjoyed the chapter~!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is teasing, worrying, and lying about one's levels of maturity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *glances at summary* That's not ambiguous at all, is it? I'm glad so many of you seemed to like the last chapter! I enjoyed writing that one /so much/. You all make my day, I hope you know that. You're an excellent bunch and I'm delighted that you keep coming back for more.

The drive back to Rey’s apartment is full of loaded silence. Rey has her arms crossed and is glaring at the car roof; BB seems too focused on the road to make conversation. The both of them trot up the stairs and into the apartment without saying a word. They open the door to find Poe and Finn passed out in front of the television, the menu screen for _Howl’s Moving Castle_ playing on repeat while the both of them snore.

Rey shoots a glance at BB, and at once, the tension softens. “They’re getting there.” She whispers. BB nods and smiles.

The two of them scoop up the bowls of chips and salsa as quietly as they can before moving into the kitchen. They leave the dishes in the sink before ransacking the cupboards in search of clean glasses. BB leans against the counter while Rey combines her rootbeer with the butterscotch schnapps. She passes them a glass, then starts making one for herself.

“So,” She says, after a beat. “Your boss.”

BB shifts their glass from one hand to the other, their eyes nervous. “What about him?”

“Well,” Rey says. “He’s been coming to Jakku Java for about a month and a half now. We’ve met before, too. He mentioned something about his volatile temper when we first ran into each other, in fact.” She chuckles, but it’s a dark thing. “I really should have guessed he and your boss were the same person, given that.”

“He would say something like that.” BB snorts. They take a sip of their drink. “He’s not a bad man, but he’s not lying about his temper. He’s trashed his office more times than I can count. Somedays I wonder how he got as high up as he is. Compared to the rest of them, though,” BB shudders. “Well, compared to the rest, he’s not a bad boss to have.”

Rey isn’t sure if she’s supposed to find that reassuring or not; BB looks uncertain, themselves. “He works you pretty hard.” She says. “But I think it’s safe to say that he trusts you well enough.”

“He works himself pretty hard, too.” BB admits. “And I don’t know if I’d call this thing we have ‘trust’, though. It’s more…not-hatred. Or tolerance.”

“Such high praise.” Rey snorts. “I don’t know about you, but there’s only three people I’d consider trusting with myself if drunk-me needed a ride home, and all three of them are in this apartment right now. Well, wait,” she hesitates, then amends. “There are four of you, really, but Maz doesn’t have a car, so she wouldn’t be much help at all.”

BB rolls their eyes at her. “We’d probably be out with you, anyway.” They say. “At least, one of us would be. We wouldn’t ditch you, either.” A frown crosses their face. “Though I can’t say I’m surprised that his friends ditched him. It’s not even his fault, really. He’s hard to get along with, sure, but with friends like his, he’s not in need of any enemies.”

Rey hums, frowning. BB glances at her, their expression startlingly similar to the one Maz gives her when they’re working the shop alone. It’s not a suspicious look, but more of a curious one.

“You said you’ve known him for a while now?”

“Not ‘known’ him, exactly.” Rey says. “We ran into each other a couple of times before he started coming to the shop. He wasn’t the most pleasant of strangers, but then again, I guess he could’ve been worse.” She takes a sip of her drink. “And he’s awkward as hell whenever he comes into the shop.”

“There’s a surprise.” BB chuckles. “It’s like he has two settings: angry or awkward, but always with a side of dramatics.”

That leaves Rey laughing. She tries to keep herself quiet, but BB’s giggling makes it harder. “That’s horrible, but it’s so true.”

“I know it is.” BB says, their smile a little proud.

They rest in companionable silence for a while after that, Rey’s laughter dying down as their drinks start to dwindle. There’s a snort from the living room, followed by a thump. They stick their heads through the doorway and find that Finn’s head has slipped from Poe’s shoulder and fallen soundly into his lap.

“I need a picture of this.” Rey mutters, passing BB her drink. She slips her phone out of her pocket and creeps as close as she can to the duo, leaving BB to snicker in the background. It takes a moment for her camera to focus, but when she’s got it, she’s got it. The camera snaps. Rey backs away as quickly as she can and slinks into the kitchen, where she shows the picture to BB.

“They’re adorable.” BB coos, glancing out into the living room.

“I know they are.” Rey smiles.

She offers BB Poe’s bed for the night, but they decline. It’s two thirty by the time they leave the apartment, careful to close the door softly as to not wake the two sleeping on the floor. Rey pads around the kitchen for ten minutes more, then drapes a blanket over them both before slipping off to her own room.

She stays awake for quite a while, staring at her ceiling and absorbing the day. It was all a bit much, really; she’ll be a mess tomorrow when she goes in to work, but she finds that she doesn’t mind all that much.

She avoids thoughts of Ben until she’s too tired to fight them off, and even then they’re only partially coherent. She thinks about his eyes as he was dozing off to sleep, of his lips curling around his words and smiling at her like – like – she didn’t know what like, she just knew it made her feel like she was the one who was drunk, not him. Rey gives her head a shake and writes the sentiment off as exhaustion.

BB insists that he’s not a bad man, and believes it enough that they’re willing to go and retrieve him when he needs help. Rey sighs and lets herself drift off to sleep. Her opinion of the man is still unformed, but her heart feels a little bit lighter.

***

Kylo Ren wakes up to a raging headache. Streams of sunlight breaking through his blinds, stabbing him in the eyes when he tries to pry them open them. Moving from bed is not going to be an option for a while, so he pulls the blankets over his head.

His memory of the night before is still a little hazy. He remembers things before the third or fourth Afterglow, but afterward –

His phone buzzes. Kylo groans and reaches out from under the covers, groping for it until he finds it. He drags it closer and squints at the screen, the bright light making his eyes swim.

_Hey, boss. Just checking in to make sure you made it through the night. Text me back so I can tell Rey that you’re not dead._

The text is from Blake Bingley.

Just like that, the memories come back: getting abandoned, calling Blake, and Rey, oh hell, _Rey_. Kylo groans again and throws the phone across the room, his embarrassment almost as crippling as his hangover.

He lies there until he feels brave enough to move. Then, with strength he didn’t know he had, he pulls the covers back from his head. If his memory holds (and Bingley didn’t decide to be vindictive), there’s a glass of water and some pills on his nightstand. He nearly cries at the sight of them. He screws off the safety top and throws a few back, genuinely considering the ways he could manage to give his PA a significant raise. Then he slinks back under the covers again and waits for the medicine to kick in.

Darth comes looking for him a short time later, but doesn’t make a fuss about him still being in bed. Instead, the dog jumps up beside him and buries his nose against Kylo’s neck. The shock of cold feels almost pleasant; Kylo sighs and decides to allow the affection. He wonders if Rey fed his dog before she left last night.

Rey. Rey was in his apartment. Rey saw him drunk, and knows that he’s with Astrobase, and may have a terrible opinion of him now that she’s actually aware of what he is. Then again, Kylo thinks, lost in his melancholy, he hadn’t given her many positive things to like about him to begin with. Optimistically, there really wasn’t a way things could get _much_ worse. Not really. Not unless she met his mother.

The mere thought is enough to make him want to hide beneath the covers forever.

He manages to pull himself from the bed around one in the afternoon. His head is still throbbing, but it’s not as bad as before. Darth prances around his legs and demands breakfast. Kylo gives it to him before retrieving his phone. He sends a brief text back to Bingley that only says:

_Alive_

He waits several moments before typing out another, this one longer.

_Your assistance last night was much appreciated. Tell Rey that I’m sorry if I offended her in any way. It was not my intention to._

Feeling awkward in his own skin, Kylo lies back and listens to his maniac of a dog run through the apartment. The phone buzzes by his leg a few minutes later.

_No problem, boss. Glad you made it through the night._

_Will tell Rey you say hello._

_I think it’s safe to say that you didn’t offend her with anything you said. How much of that do you remember?_

It hurts his head to think about the specifics, but he tries. He catches glimpses of specifics here and there: insulting Bingley (of course), apologizing for his dog (maybe?), and –

Angel?

_I remember enough._ He closes his eyes and decides that, for now, it would be best to just forget that the night ever happened.

_Right. You’re okay, boss._

_Go get some coffee today. You sound like you need it._

Kylo doesn’t dignify that with a reply. He lies prone on the couch until his headache dulls, then forces himself into the shower. If he stays standing under the warm spray for longer than normal, well, there’s nothing unusual about that. He has a hangover. He can do what he wants.

***

Business has picked up after their first terrible week, but there are still fewer people coming to Jakku Java. Rey smiles as she passes a patron their cup of coffee, waiting for them to go before frowning and slinking back to the kitchen. Maz is there like she always is; if Rey didn’t make her schedule, she’d be convinced that the old woman was an extension of the stove.

“Stop your fretting, dear.” Maz says as Rey sits down next to her. “You’ll only make things worse for yourself.”

“We’re not getting enough people in.” Rey says. “And I don’t know why. Have we done something wrong?”

“It’s likely just the shock of the cold.” Maz says. “You’ve done nothing wrong, child.”

Rey worries anyway, twisting her hands together. Maz sighs and reaches out, taking one of Rey’s hands in her own.

“How was your little party?” She asks. “Did you make good use of my cider?”

“Of course!” Rey says, glad for the distraction. “It was fun, for the most part. Things got a little hairy around the end, but it wasn’t anything serious.”

Maz chuckles and gives Rey’s hand a squeeze. “The hairy parties are the best.” She says with a wink. “They’re the ones you remember best when you’re my age.”

Rey rolls her eyes but smiles anyway. The doorbells chime; she drops Maz’s hand and makes her way out to the front.

“BB! I didn’t expect to see you today.”

“And why not?” Her friend says, smirking on the other side of the counter. “Your coffee is good and I spent more time awake last night than I really would’ve liked.”

“Oh, I see.” Rey scoffs. “Are you saying that you didn’t have fun?”

“That’s not what I’m saying at all.” BB holds their hands up in surrender. “How often do you think I’m going to get to see my boss wasted and not suffer dubious consequences for it?”

“Seeing how much he likes you, I can bet that you’ll have another chance.”

She goes about preparing their order while BB complains; she knows, now, what kind of coffee they like, and they seem to trust her enough to let her make the decision for them. Rey whips together a concoction of chocolate, hazelnut, and espresso, then passes it over the counter, taking BB’s offered five in return.

BB sips the coffee like it’s their life blood and lets out a long, dreamy sigh. Rey does her best to hide her giggles.

“You’re a gift, Rey.” BB says, oblivious. “I would be lost without you, I really would.”

“Stop it.” Rey snickers.

“I’m serious.” BB insists. “Do you think I’d have kept my job as long as I have if I hadn’t found your coffee shop? You’re a literal lifesaver. You’re like – I don’t know, a coffee warrior princess.”

This only makes her giggles worse. Maz peeks her head out to see what’s going on and offers BB a casual wave before disappearing into the kitchen again.

BB continues to wax poetic about their drink until they have Rey nearly on the floor, tears rolling down her cheeks. She wipes them away and goes to shoo BB off so she can clean herself up. BB, however, lingers.

“Listen,” they say, when she returns from the bathroom. “I’m going to give you something that I think would be useful to you. Pass me your phone?”

Rey does so without suspicion, her head still light from her laughter. BB takes their time, scrolling and pecking at her keyboard. Then they hand the phone back with a satisfied hum.

“What did you do?” Rey asks, poking through her collection of apps for something suspicious.

“I gave you Ky – Ben’s cell phone number.”

Just like that, all of the humor is sucked out of her. Rey knows she must look stricken, because BB rushes to explain.

“He’s been texting me thinking that he offended you last night.” They say. “I’m not saying that you have to text him, just that he won’t listen to me and at this point I’m going to start ignoring him.”

“Couldn’t he technically fire you for that?” Rey asks weakly.

“No.” The smile BB gives her doesn’t fit on their face; it’s too wicked. “He can’t fire me for anything I do on weekends. It’s in our contract.” They reach across the counter and take Rey’s hand in theirs, wickedness fading away. “You don’t have to text him, Rey. I just thought it would make things easier.”       

“Easier for you or easier for me?”

“Easier for both of us.”

They spend a few more minutes talking before BB makes their way out of the shop. Rey watches them go, then turns her attention back to her phone. Ben’s name shines in her contacts like a beacon. Rey sighs and tucks her phone away, determined to ignore it.

She makes it until four in the afternoon, and then she caves. She shoots off a quick text between patrons and puts her phone on silent, refusing to acknowledge the rush of adrenaline that’s burning beneath her skin.

***

There’s a new text on his phone when he gets out of the shower. Kylo frowns as he peers at the text alert; it’s from a number he doesn’t recognize. The area code’s local, though, so at least it can’t be his mother trying out a new phone (unless she’s come into town, and he doesn’t want to think about that).

Kylo opens the text and nearly drops his phone in surprise.

_BB says you’re bothering them. Not a v nice way to thank someone for saving you. -Rey_

It takes Kylo several minutes to get over his shock, and several minutes more to formulate a response. His hands are shaking so hard that he has to correct the text three times over, and even then just stares at it before gathering the courage to hit send.

_It’s not bothering if they texted me first._

He sets his phone aside after that and refuses to look at it. Two hours pass without a peep from his new – friend? – and they nearly drive him mad. He’s got Darth down on the floor, wrestling for a long wrap of cowhide, when she finally texts him back.

_They text because they worry. You’re shortening their lifespan._

Darth looks disappointed to lose his wrestling partner, but Kylo’s preoccupied. He pats the dog on the head until his tail starts wagging again.

_They shouldn’t worry. I can take care of myself._

He sends the message without thinking and gets an answer not moments later.

_...sure you can._

***

Poe is leaning against the Falcon outside while Rey closes up the shop. Her phone is buzzing in her pocket, but she ignores it. Instead she turns, smiles at her brother, and runs to his car to escape the cold.

“Don’t you look cheerful?” Poe says, sliding in the other side. “Good shift?”

“Not bad.” Rey shrugs. “BB came in. They said thanks for the invitation yesterday, but that no one mentioned it was going to be a slumber party.”

The joke works; Poe starts to blush. The engine of the Falcon grumbles to life under his careful hands. “I don’t think anybody was aware of that.” He admits.

Rey snorts, and the conversation lulls. Poe whips around the corner of 77th, passing under a light newly turned red. Rey rolls her eyes but doesn’t voice her complaint.

“So,” Poe says into the silence. “Do you think – well, about Finn. What do you think?”

“What do you mean, what do I think?” Rey asks. “I hired him, didn’t I? I think he’s a capable employee, a good friend, a sweet guy –”

“Okay, okay, I’ll specify.” Poe interrupts. “Do you think – can I make a move now? Can I start up again? Is he – is he still scared of me?”

A softness settles into Rey’s chest. She reaches out and puts a hand on top of her brother’s. “I’m not the one who can answer that question, now am I?”

Poe groans and lets the Falcon glide to a stop. “I know you’re not, and I know I should talk to him, but you can at least tell me if I have a chance, right?”

“I could.” Rey says, giving his hand a squeeze. “But maybe I like to watch you suffer.”

Poe knocks her hand off of his and starts driving again, grumbling while Rey laughs. Rey sobers a moment later and looks on with a fond expression.

“I think you have a chance.” She says, and marvels at the way her brother’s shoulders seem to lighten. “But I think you need to check in with him to make sure you’re not stepping over any boundaries.”

“That makes sense.” Poe nods. “I can do that.” The car starts to speed up; Rey can feel it pushing her head back against her headrest.

“Don’t get too excited!”

“Excited? Who’s excited? Not me.” Poe offers her a winning smile. The Falcon slows down, blessedly, and their apartment complex peeks into view.

“You’re so unsubtle.” Rey grumbles as they coast to a stop. “It’s a wonder he hasn’t called you on that already.”

Poe punches her arm before pulling his keys from the Falcon’s dashboard. They climb the steps to their apartment together, laughing with their arms slung around each other’s shoulders.

Rey heads off for her bedroom while Poe heads into the kitchen, needing a moment’s silence after the long day. She can hear Poe chuckling through her closed door, anyway, probably texting Finn with renewed enthusiasm. 

She reaches for her own phone and opens her newest text from Ben.

_Don’t let last night’s impression of me fool you. I am actually a functional adult._

_Don’t lie to me._ Rey types back, rolling her eyes. _None of us are functioning adults. I don’t even know what a functioning adult is._

It takes him no time at all to respond. **_I’m_** _a functional adult. I didn’t say anything about you._

_Oh, fuck off._ She throws in a laughing emoji to clarify her amusement. _Are insults your version of compliments? Because I’m pretty sure that without BB and I, you would’ve been stuck on the street near The Hutt for a lot longer than you were._

Something shatters in the kitchen. Rey looks up from her phone for a moment and hears Poe start cursing. As she’s standing, her phone buzzes again.

_You’re probably right._

_Thank you._

She tells herself that it’s his discomfort that warms her heart. _You owe me one, hotshot._

Poe’s curses are growing louder. Rey sets her phone aside and leaves the room before Ben can text back, refocusing her thoughts on her brother and the mess she’s likely going to have to clean up.

“If you weren’t texting your boyfriend, these sorts of things wouldn’t happen.” She calls. She walks down the hall and stops dead in the kitchen doorway.  The kitchen floor is covered in marinara sauce; Poe looks at her from the stove, his teeth bared and his hands covered in Italian spiced deliciousness.

Rey can’t help it; she bursts into laughter.

***

The rest of the weekend goes like this:

The Dameron siblings spend their Saturday night cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom until the smell of citrus covers up any trace of ill-begotten pasta sauces. Finn, who receives a retelling of the story full of commentary from both parties, makes fun of both of them from the comfort (and supposed cleanliness) of his own home. BB does, too, but their teasing is more affection-heavy. Poe decides that adopting BB is the only way to punish Finn for his insults. This leads to a custody war between him and his sister, as Rey insists she can take better care of BB than he can. BB claims that they don’t want to be adopted by either sibling and would rather live at home than endure the struggle.

Ben and Rey texted through all of this. They keep their conversation light, filling the air with double-sided insults and commentary about what a person should and shouldn’t drink when they’re out on their own. Ben sends her a picture of Darth before the night is out, but only because Rey demands one.

_You shouldn’t be so fond of him_. The caption reads. _He’s really an idiot._

Rey smirks and takes a screenshot.

Sunday passes quietly, with Finn and Poe huddled together at the shop while a late November rain comes tapping down on their roof. Rey keeps to the back and watches the droplets trickle down the windows, her phone cradled in her hand.

Then Monday arrives, and their quiet peace falls away to reveal cold reality.

***

Kylo walks into the office on Monday to find Ree standing by his door. He acknowledges her and motions her aside so he can unlock it, sighing as she follows him inside.

“What do you want?”

“Mr. Snoke wants to let you know that he expects your numbers report by the end of the week.” Ree pushes a strand of grey hair away from her face. “He wanted me to inform you that you will also be spending time in the IT department this week, as a continued measure of your training.”

“Training?” Kylo frowns. “I thought he said I didn’t have a chance.”

Ree crosses her arms and scowls. “You don’t. The CEO of the company, however, is not willing to merely give Hux the position. He wants you to at least keep up appearances, if you are truly unable to improve.” Her scowl takes on the tiniest bit of humor and turns into an ugly smirk. “It would be wise to comply with his requests.”

Kylo clenches his fists under his desk and waits until she leaves his office to lose his temper properly.

November’s early numbers have been good; better, at least, than October’s. After a good rant and pace Kylo settles down in front of his computer and pulls up his email, glancing over the losses report his people had sent him the week before. The gains report come next, followed by a spreadsheet so long it takes him two minutes to scroll to the bottom.

Two hours and multiple documents later, he has a draft of the report and a confidence he’d been lacking before. The company is back on the rise; new stock holders have made sure of that, as have connections with Thrash. Kylo sends Bingley out for coffee with a smile on his face and doesn’t realize that his PA is smirking until they’ve already left the office.

When they return with his americano, he pulls them into his office for questioning.

“What’s going on?” He asks, shutting the door behind them.

“What do you mean, sir?” Bingley asks. Kylo raises an eyebrow and notices Bingley cradling a coffee cup of his own.  

“You’re smirking at me.” He says, looking back up.

“Am I?” Bingley asks. “I wasn’t aware.”

Kylo growls, and Bingley laughs – _laughs_. “Don’t worry, sir.” They say, smirk slipping into something fond. “It’s just – did you get any interesting text messages this weekend?”

“You mean besides the ones from you?”

“Yes, besides from me.” The cockiness is crawling back across Bingley’s face; Kylo wants nothing more than to wipe it off complete.

“No.” He says, and sees Bingley’s face drop. “Nothing terribly interesting. Why?”

Bingley doesn’t answer for a moment and pulls out their phone instead. Kylo rolls his eyes as they glance over the screen. “If this is something important, I’d like to finish talking about it quickly.”

“You’re the one who pulled me in here.” Bingley says mildly. They tuck their phone away before pinning him with a stare. “And unless you find my darling Rey _uninteresting_ , I think you’re lying to me.”

Kylo wheels backward as though he’s been struck. “ _What_?” He’s underestimated Bingley’s willingness to swing low, that much is obvious. The PA bounces on their heels and bats their eyes as Kylo struggles to find his words.

“ _Darling_?” He growls, at last. “Are the two of you _dating?_ ”

“What would be wrong with that?” Bingley asks. Kylo’s vision is blurring with red when the PA starts to laugh.

“No, I’m not dating her.” They say, and just like that, Kylo’s vision clears. He straightens his back and loosens the tie around his throat, the black fabric feeling just a little too tight.

“I see.” He says.

The look Bingley gives him is half sympathetic, half annoyed. “But you still find her uninteresting.” They say. “So even though I’m _not_ dating her, I can still be offended on her behalf.”

“I don’t find her uninteresting!” Kylo insists.

“Then none of her texts from the weekend were interesting?”

“Okay, so I lied.” Kylo bites out. He really needs to find a new PA; this one was fine up until they developed a backbone. “Yes, I got some interesting texts this weekend that weren’t from you. Are you happy?”

“Quite.” Bingley smiles at him and starts to head for the door. “You’re welcome for giving her your number, by the way.”

“I could’ve done that myself.” Kylo grumbles.

“Oh, no you couldn’t have.” Bingley says. “You would’ve tried and failed, and she would’ve misunderstood, and then things would take ten times longer than they really need to. There’s a reason you hired me.” They say with a smile. “And that’s to help you when you can’t help yourself.”

Bingley leaves Kylo’s office with a flippant “Enjoy your coffee!” and lets the door fall shut behind them. Kylo stares after them, his temper a mess and his heart doing somersaults in his chest.

“Wait!” He shouts, sticking his head out his office door. Bingley, already halfway down the hall, turns back and looks at him. “You didn’t get Phasma any coffee today, did you?”

Bingley looks downright affronted. “Of course I didn’t. She was an ass to you last Friday.”

Kylo’s not sure what warms his cold heart more: Bingley’s cursing or the satisfaction that will be Phasma’s caffeine headache. His giddy smile says what he cannot, and, to their credit, Bingley seems to understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some good stuff coming~! These next couple of chapters...well, let's say I'll enjoy posting them. ;) Let me know what you thought!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are tears, smiles, and hot chocolates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *clasps hands behind back and grins* I ~like~ this chapter. I hope you do, too! Thank you so much for all of the comments (again); they're so fun to read/receive. Big hugs and cups of cocoa for all of you! Thanks for sticking with me!

Rey sits at the kitchen table, still in her pajamas and cradling a cup of tea. Her laptop is open in front of her, and a calculator not far away. She takes a sip of her tea and scrolls through an open spreadsheet, a frown working its way across her face.

November ends in two days. The lease money for Jakku Java is due in three. Rey’s grip on her mug grows tighter as the spreadsheet reaches its end.

They haven’t made enough. Not enough to cover the lease _and_ supplies, and she’s not about to dock anyone wages except her owns. Rey bites her lip and sets her mug aside. She runs through the calculations, moves money around like a loan shark, but the facts remain as they are. Jakku Java hasn’t made enough money this month. They won’t be able to cover their lease.

They’re not even that far off. If they only had a little bit more – maybe if the next two days at the shop were _miraculous –_ then they could stay afloat. But with things going the way they are, Rey can’t see the world doing them any favors. She rests her head on the table and tries to fight back the tears in her eyes.

Poe is quiet when he finds her. He hovers, then wraps his arms around her, holding her while she pulls herself back together.

“I’m not cut out for this.” She whispers, wiping snot away from her nose.

“Don’t say that.” Poe says, petting her hair. “You’ve done everything in your power to ensure this month went well. It’s not your fault that you can’t control other people.”

“I should be able to.” She grumbles.

“No, no you shouldn’t.” Poe chuckles. “I don’t want to imagine how terrifying that would be.”

Despite herself, Rey giggles. The siblings stay wrapped around one another until Rey’s neck starts to ache and Poe’s arm goes numb, and even then, they part slowly. Poe kisses her on the cheek as they gather their things, ready for another day in the shop.

“Chin up, little sister.” He says as they walk towards the Millennium Falcon. “There’s nothing in the world that the two of us can’t do together.”

Rey sniffles but walks on, holding her head high.

It’s the two of them and Maz today, though that doesn’t mean Finn won’t show up eventually. Poe shoos Rey into the back, where she helps Maz roll out the dough for her first batch of thumbprint cookies. The flow of patrons is steady, but nowhere near the miracle they need.

 Maz slides the cookies into the oven, then moves her attention on to gingerbread. Rey’s elbow deep in dish water when Poe calls her to the front, letting her know that BB’s arrived.

“Morning, stranger.” She says as she strolls out of the kitchen, voice far happier than she feels.

“Good morning.” BB chirps. Poe pats her on the back as she goes to take their order; she smiles as he disappears into the kitchen.

“Everything alright?” BB asks, watching him go.

“What, with him? Yeah.” Rey manages a smile. “It’s just been a long day.”

She sees BB glances at their watch. “It’s only eleven.”

Despite herself, Rey laughs. BB seems to cheer and orders their usual, hanging around the counter while Rey pulls the drinks together. “You should yell at Ben.” They tell her. “He’s working me harder than normal today.”

“You want me to yell at him?” Rey asks. “What’s he doing now?”

“Being an asshole.” BB grumbles, but Rey sees them wink. “I don’t mind, not really. The work he has me doing isn’t exactly related to Astrobase.” They must sense her confusion, because they hurry to continue. “Not that it’s anything else, exactly, or anything…you know, illegal, or super terrible, and good lord, I am bad at this.”

“Stop digging, you’ll only make it worse.” Rey laughs. She sets their cinnamon chai on the counter before moving on to the espresso machine.

“You’re right.” BB huffs. “He’s just a little thick headed, you know?”

“I’ve noticed.” Rey pauses as she goes to retrieve Ben’s cup. She’s already scribbled BB’s initial onto the cup, but she grabs the sharpie and extends the message. BB watches her with a raised eyebrow. They make a show of reading the cup once she’s handed it to them.

“‘Take it easy on BB?’” They laugh. “Why haven’t I been getting special messages before now?”

“Because I see you in person enough that I figured you didn’t need them.” Rey says with a wink. “Now go back to work, you lazy bum.”

“Fine, fine, I can see when I’m not wanted.” BB swans out of the shop, waving as they go. “Oh, and don’t be surprised if a terrifying tall woman shows up here later today. I’ve decided that she doesn’t deserve coffee after abandoning my boss, and I don’t know what the lack of it will do to her.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Rey says. She waves as BB walks from the shop, stopping only to brace themselves against the cold. There’s a smile on Rey’s face again as she leans on the counter, and for that, she’s grateful.

Poe comes back to join her a short time later when the lunch rush hits. They struggle to keep up with orders, much to Rey’s delight. They scramble to move around each other, exchanging blinding smiles as coffee flies over the counter.

By the time the rush dies down, no tall woman has appeared. No familiar mop of brown has, either. Rey takes it upon herself to wash out their steaming mugs in an attempt to redirect her disappointment.

She sends Maz home a short time later. Poe starts playing something old and twangy over the shop stereo system; Rey, having resumed her watch of the front, has to sigh and endure it. She sends a bemoaning text to Finn, who takes her plight as his cue to come to the shop. She lets him into the kitchen and giggles as he rips Poe a new one. Their argument goes on for a good twenty minutes, but the music does eventually change. Rey shouts her thanks without turning around and hears her brother shout curses back.

It’s going on three when an unusual woman makes her way through the door; the platinum of her hair a shock against the browns of the shop. Rey eyes her as she approaches, until the woman’s right in front of her. She has to crane her neck to meet the woman’s gaze.

 “Welcome to Jakku Java.” She says. “What can I get for you today?”

The woman squints down at her, then back at the dusty menu board. “Do you frequently serve a young patron by the name of Blake Bingley?” She asks, her voice cold and clipped.

Rey hesitates before she answers, caught off guard by a sudden burst of movement in the corner. Finn, who settled himself at one of their tables a long while ago, has gone stiff, his antique of a phone clattering against the wooden tabletop.

Rey furrows her brow and pretends to think for a moment. “I may have served them once or twice, but I serve a lot of people. Even with the name, I don’t think I’d remember them.”  

Her opponent sighs and looks back at the menu board. “Fine. I’ll have a caramel macchiato, if it won’t be too much trouble.”

“Not at all.” Rey says. “Can I have a name?”

“Rebecca Phasma.”

This time she knows she sees Finn wince. She shoots him a concerned glance and sees him wave her attention away, his eyes fixed on the woman at the counter.

Phasma follows Rey’s gaze and stops when she finds Finn. “Ah, Mr. Trooper. What a surprise.”

“Ms. Phasma.” Finn replies, his voice ice cold.

“I thought you’d left town.” Phasma says. “Didn’t you say that it was personal obligations that took you away from our company? I assumed you’d be with your family.”

“You assumed wrong.” Finn snaps.

Rey hears Phasma chuckle and grinds her teeth together, trying to hurry her order along. “Interesting. We do so miss you at Astrobase; you know that we’d welcome you back, if you wanted to reapply.”

“Thanks but no thanks, Phasma.” Finn says. Poe emerges from the back of the shop, tense at the sound of fighting. He and Rey exchange a look before he goes to sit at Finn’s side.

Phasma narrows her eyes at the both of them and sniffs before turning away. “What a shame.”

The shop fills with heavy silence. Rey finishes her order and hands it to her without a word; Phasma hands her a ten dollar bill and stares at the top of her head. “Keep the change.” She says, before turning on her heel and storming out of the shop.

Rey stays stock still until she’s disappeared, then runs to Finn’s side.

“Are you alright?”

“‘Course I’m alright.” Finn mutters. Poe’s got an arm wrapped around his shoulder and looks to be squeezing him tight. It’s an improvement, but Rey decides not to comment.

“I can’t believe you used to work for someone like her.” She hears him mutter. “It’s amazing you made it out of that company alive.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Finn laughs, but it’s a dead sound in his mouth. Rey and Poe exchange worried looks, then Rey sneaks forward and presses a kiss to Finn’s temple.

“I’ll try to keep her out of her from now on.” She says. “BB says that they’ve been pissing her off at work lately; that’s the only reason she came in today.”

“Yeah, well maybe she’s learned her lesson and won’t ever come back.” Finn mutters. Rey gives him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before moving back behind the counter. She shares another significant glance with her brother; as much as she wants to stay, she knows she’s leaving Finn in capable hands.

She sends the men out of the shop a little after four thirty, letting Poe clock off so she can finish off the shift. The shop falls quiet in their absence, save for the radio and the sounds of two students plucking at their keyboards. Rey sighs and pulls out her phone, scrolling through her messages until she finds one from Ben.

_What do you mean, take it easy on BB? If anything, they should take it easy on me._

Just like that, she’s smiling again.

_I’m not so sure I believe that. Have you met BB? They’re harmless._

Ben’s response comes too quickly for a man who’s supposed to be working with Astrobase. _Has your phone autocorrected ‘vicious’ or ‘manipulative’ to ‘harmless’?_

 _Oh, please._ Rey types back. _Maybe you’re just so softhearted that someone like BB seems fierce in comparison._

She imagines him looking affronted and laughs. The two students give her concerned looks, but she ignores them in favor of waiting for his response.

He does not disappoint. _Shouldn’t you be working?_

_Shouldn’t you?_

_Not for much longer._ He replies, and she can hear the accusation through the phone. _I’m rather distracted. Might as well go home._

 _You poor thing._ The doorbell chimes. Rey sets her phone aside and tends to the latest patron, her ears perked for the next ping of her ringtone.

_You’re still at the shop?_

Rey glances at the clock. _For another hour_.

 _Good_.

She gets nothing after that, not even when she texts him a series of question marks so long it takes up half her screen. Part of her knows she’s being childish, but it’s a fun game, bothering him when he’s done so much to torment her friend.

That’s what she tells herself, in any case (though maybe ‘torment’ is a harsh word.) Rey slips into the back to change the radio station, then waits out in the front again, staring out the window into the cool winter sky.

***

Kylo sets his phone aside and prepares to pack up his things. It’s going on five, anyway; by all means, he _should_ be going home. The numbers report can be edited tomorrow. He’ll have the time.

He’s pulling on his coat when Bingley knocks on his door.

“Sir?”

This is not the same Bingley who danced around his office earlier today. This Bingley is subdued, almost frightened. “Mr. Snoke’s waiting for you by the elevator.” They say. “He wants to speak with you.”

Kylo feels his blood run cold. He clears his throat and ducks his head, pretending to focus on the clip of his briefcase. “Thank you for telling me. I’ll be out in just a moment.”

He thinks Bingley nods, or assumes they do, because the PA is silent. They slip out without another wording, leaving his office door hanging open.

Kylo closes his eyes and breathes deeply. He allows himself one reassuring thought of liquid hazel eyes before pushing himself onward, out of his office and towards his waiting boss.

Snoke is cigarette-free when Kylo approaches. He looks like a corpse bathed in the harsh grey light of day; perhaps this is why he prefers to keep to the dark. He greets Kylo with a nod and rolls himself into the waiting elevator. Kylo resists the urge to run for the stairs and walks in after him.

“My assistant said you wished to speak to me?”

“I do.” Snoke says. A wretched cough sends his body into convulsions. The elevator descend three floors before he can speak.

“Have you arranged time to spend with the IT managers?” He rasps, still trying to catch his breath.

“I have.” Kylo says. “Though I’m not sure I see the point, sir, if I’m truly out of the running.”

Snoke’s laugh sounds just like his cough and wracks his body just as hard. “You were never truly out of the running, boy.” He says. “You were being an imbecile and needed some sense shaken into you.”

Kylo stares at him, open mouthed.

“I’ve heard you’ve had quite the successful month.” Snoke continues, his voice made slimy by pride.

“I have.” Kylo manages. “My reports will enlighten you further to the company’s success.”

“Oh, I’m sure they will.” Snoke says. “You’re on your way to redeeming yourself, I think. Still not on the same level Hux is, but significantly improve.” The look he gives Kylo makes the man want to shiver. “Well done.”

The elevator glides to a stop. Kylo waits for Snoke to wheel himself forward before stepping into the lobby, himself.

“Have a good night, boy.” Snoke says. “I look forward to seeing what else you have in store for me.”

Kylo’s throat won’t cooperate, so he nods his farewell. He sees Snoke smirk and has to turn away.

The cold city air is a shock to his system, but a blessing. Kylo glances down and realizes that his hands are shaking.

The CEO’s never scared him as much as he scares him now. These kinds of methods are unsurprising from a man like Snoke, but Kylo hasn’t been on the receiving end of them in a while. He doesn’t want to think about what that means. His feet carry him forward, his strides long and fast until the Astrobase building is out of sight. Only then does he slow, taking deep breaths until his heart stop racing.

He’s not sure if this news reassures him or makes him want to be sick. Kylo pinches the bridge of his nose and tries to will his headache away. His mouth tastes like ash, and he wants nothing more to run far, far away, until things like Astrobase and Walter Snoke are no more than bad memories.

Then, a warmly lit sign appears in the distance. The sight of Jakku Java, tiny little hole-in-the-wall place that it is, pushes the air back into his lungs. Kylo takes a deep breath and does not run to the front door. He walks, keeping his pace steady, until he steps inside.

Rey looks up from her spot at the counter and greets him with a smile. His heart leaps; it’s not her ‘patron’ smile, but something that looks genuine. Kylo – Ben feels his lips curve and responds to her in kind.

She’s enough to blast the memories of work from his mind, any day.

***

“Welcome to Jakku Java.” Rey says, her voice full of laughter. “What can I get you today?”

“It’s good to see you.” Ben replies. He’s relaxed, Rey notices, and smiling; it’s enough to throw her brain into a proper mess.

“It’s good to see you, too.” She admits. “And sober, even. What did I do to deserve such an honor?”

To her great relief, he chuckles. Rey isn’t sure if the storm in her head is getting worse or better. She is glad, however, that neither Finn nor her brother are here to see her act like this.

“I would’ve preferred that you’d not seen me drunk at all.” Ben says. “Given what I remember, I made a fool of myself.”

“At least you can admit it.” Rey shrugs. “And it wasn’t so bad. You didn’t throw up on anyone and you didn’t admit anything _too_ controversial. It’s just something to remember, if it happens again.”

“What?” Ben asks. “That if I get wasted and abandoned, my PA may bring a friend along when they come to get me, and I’ll embarrass myself in front of both of them?”

“Well, if you want to put it that way.” Rey shrugs again. What looks like a blush is crossing Ben’s cheeks, so she allows herself a laugh. “It’s really alright, Ben. I’m not going to criticize you for getting drunk on a Friday night.”

“Much appreciated.” The man drawls.

Rey snorts and shakes her head. “So do you want some coffee today or not, big shot?”

Ben looks pleased at the nickname; she wonders, idly, what he thought of ‘space cowboy’. “Not coffee, no.” He says. “But a hot chocolate would be appreciated.”

Rey hums and taps a finger against her lips. “A hot chocolate? I think I can manage that.” She ducks down, imagining Ben’s exasperated smile. “Just a regular hot chocolate?” She asks, after retrieving a cup.

Ben is not smiling, to her surprise. He seems distracted, his tongue darting out of his mouth to wet his lips. Rey resists the urge to stare. “Just a regular, yeah.” He says.

Rey doesn’t trust herself to speak, at the moment, so she nods and turns away. She bites her lip as she pours his milk. What’s wrong with her? Or, better yet, what’s wrong with him? What happened to the strange man she bumped into a month ago, the one that was more threatening than reassuring? He’s obviously been replaced by a pod person, because this man – Rey glances over her shoulder and finds him staring – this man has a sense of humor and self-awareness and full, red-bitten lips.

She feels a flush creep up her neck and shuts down that train of thought, hard.

The hot chocolate takes no time to finish. She passes it over the counter, careful to touch as little of the cup as possible. Their fingers do not brush. For a fleeting moment, she thinks she sees disappointment flash over Ben’s face.

“You’re not going to make me pay for it?” He jokes, just before he takes a sip.

Rey almost laughs, before she’s shocked back to reality. It sinks in slowly, then rushes over her in a wave. The shop. The lease. She feels panic rising in her throat and tries to fight it back, because the shop, the shop, she hadn’t thought about it for most of the day and now –

Ben must notice her distress, because his cup hits the counter with unusual force. “Rey?”

“I’m fine.” She says, waving away his concern. “No, I’m not going to make you pay for it. On the house.”

She knows her smile looks forced, but she’s too busy fighting the pain in her chest to make it any more convincing.

Ben’s lovely mouth drops into a frown. “Rey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” She insists. He looks ready to argue with her, but seems to resist; instead he reaches for his wallet. “Oh no you don’t.” Rey says, going from panicked to murderous in a second. “That is for you and you are not paying me for it, no sir.”

She knows she’s being confusing, she can see it on his face. Ben puts his wallet back slowly and reaches out for his cup – no, reaches beyond the cup to take her wrist in hand. His fingers and thumb overlap one another, and Rey finds herself staring. Her pulse flutters beneath his touch.

“Rey –”

“It’s nothing.” She whispers. She feels pinpricks in the corners of her eyes as tears start to leak out.

***

His hand is around her wrist and she’s so _small_ ; it can’t be safe to be that small. She’s practically curling in on herself, her shoulders shaking, and – and she’s _crying._

The shop is empty, save for the two of them. Ben – Kylo – Ben glances around the shop before making his way behind the counter, never once letting Rey’s wrist fall. When he reaches her, she folds into his like nothing. He wraps his arms around her and she tucks her head into his chest, her tears staining his white dress shirt. A voice in the back of his head tells him he should care, but he can’t – won’t – bring himself to let her go.

He still doesn’t know what’s going on. He’s never been good at comforting anyone, let alone someone like _her_. But she’s sobbing like the world’s ending, so he knows that he has to try.

“Tell me what’s wrong.” He murmurs into her hair. It hurts his neck to bend down like this; he’s practically hunched over her, but she smells like jasmine and desert flowers and moving just isn’t an option.

“It’s the shop.” He hears her whimper. “We didn’t make enough money this month, and if we can’t pay the lease we may have to close the shop.”

He stiffens and, after a moment, pulls her closer. Her entire body is shaking and it _scares_ him, but he hangs on and holds her until her tears start to subside.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” He asks.

Rey sniffles into his shirt. “I don’t think so.” She says. “If business tomorrow skyrockets, we may have a chance. I’ve been looking into loans to take out and may have found something, but that’s even more bills and I really, really don’t want to deal with all that.”

Ben places his hands on her shoulders and pushes her back so he can see her face. “You’re right about the loans.” He says. “But there’s got to be something that’ll keep this place open.”

“S’optimistic of you.” Rey says, thickly.

“I have to be optimistic.” Ben admits. “I’m a little addicted to your coffee. It may not be possible for me to get through the day without it anymore.”

Rey laughs, and Ben considers his mission a success. She blinks up at him through her tears and bites her lip, and something the size of an elephant smacks him in the chest: he’s caught. He’s lost. Kylo Ren – Ben Solo – absolutely done for.

***

He’s made her laugh, the bastard. Rey looks up into his face and bites her lip, her hands still tangled in the soft material of his shirt. Something changes in his face that she likes quite a bit; his eyes go soft and his hands tighten on her back.

Rey doesn’t realize she’s on her tip toes until their noses are nearly brushing together.

Then the bells above the door chime.

She throws herself away from Ben and tries to straighten herself up, wiping her cheeks as she goes to greet the patron. She catches a glimpse of him while she talks: standing, confused, right where she left him, his arms still outstretched in embrace. It makes her heart ache.  

The patron’s order in unnecessarily complicated. Rey tries to run through it as quickly as she can, something desperate driving her forward; she knows he’ll run if she doesn’t stop him.

She’s not fast enough. By the time the transaction’s complete, Ben and his hot chocolate are gone. Rey looks out the window and catches a glimpse of his jacket disappearing around a street corner.

The doorbells tinkle as the patron leaves, and then the shop is empty.

Rey slumps against the nearest wall. For a reason she can’t begin to understand, she feels like crying all over again.

She’s certain Finn and Poe notice the redness around her eyes when they pick her up, but neither of them comment on it. She snuggles into the backseat as Poe starts to drive, staring out the window and hoping, praying that she sees him walking away.

Empty streets are all she gets, instead.

***

Ben finds himself leaning against an alley wall not two blocks from Jakku Java, breathing like he’s run a marathon; his heart hammering and his hands burning. He closes his eyes and tries to steady himself.

That –

Something –

He wanted –

No.

Slowly, slowly, Kylo Ren quiets his mind, pulling the pieces of himself back together from where they’d been blown apart.

He’d wanted to stay. He’d wanted to wait until the shop was empty and he could take her in his arms again, but his feet had moved faster than his brain. The fear that had risen in his chest had been too great to ignore; it had driven him from the shop and into the cold. Kylo sighs and runs a hand through his hair, fear slowly turning to anger.

‘Coward’, he thinks, but oh, how he aches. He shoves his feelings down until they’re no more than a whisper, but they’re there all the same, threatening to spill over with every breath he takes.

He wonders, idly, what she’d have tasted like.   

Kylo stays in the alley until his breathing steadies, and then until he stop shaking. It’s dark by the time he starts walking home.

He calls Bingley moments after he walks through his apartment door, a decision made. The PA grumbles when they pick up, but Kylo doesn’t let them speak.

“There’s something I want to do.” He says. “But I’m going to need your help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *walks away whistling* ;)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kylo Ren is Mr. Darcy and I up the fic rating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! Sorry this is a few days late; real life got...distracting, let's say. But it's here now! Thank you again (again?) for your comments. Reading last chapter's had me rolling around with laughter ;) You're all too kind, even when you're frustrated. I'm terribly fond of all of you.

Kylo Ren spends an hour on the phone, making dozens of calls until his plan rolls itself into motion. He ends the last with a satisfied ‘click’ somewhere towards nine, then silences his phone. He leaves it on the couch as he walks to the bathroom, stripping off his clothes as he goes.

The shower takes some time to warm, so he lets the water run and leans back against the sink. It has been, in short, an emotional day. He sighs and pushes his hair away from his face. A part of him swears that he never wants to repeat it; another remembers Rey in his arms – Rey, with her face buried in his shirt and her impossibly small self tucked into his arms –

Kylo feels something curling in the pit of his stomach and steps into the shower. He’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

The water’s on the burning edge of hot, but he finds that he doesn’t mind. He braces himself against the wall and lets it hammer down on his back, the muscles that have bunched up there slowly relaxing, one by one. He’s not sure how long he stands there, but it’s long enough for the glass door to fog.

His mind wanders as he goes through the motions, washing off the sweat of the day. It’s a mess of paperwork and voices, familiar and unfamiliar, until a caramel-thick tone murmurs his name. Kylo sighs and closes his eyes. Her hazel gaze pins him beneath the water, dark and inviting.

He’s too far gone to resist her now.

He imagines what it could have been like, had they not been interrupted. He sees her, cradled in his arms, tears dry and staring at him like he was the rock in the center of her storm. She’s teetering on her toes, too short to reach him but eager enough to try. He leans down a little faster, this time, but lets her push her lips to his. He thinks she’ll taste like honey, sweet and heavy on his tongue.

Kylo sighs as his cock twitches and lets a hand drift down, passing down his stomach to the curve of his thighs.

He’d have had to pick her up to kiss her properly. The counter that she so often hid behind would have been perfect; he’d tighten his arms around her and she’d be like a feather, maybe even wrapping her legs around his waist. She’d kiss so sweetly, nibbles and pecks – or maybe she’d be fierce, spitfire and coal like the day that they’d met. Her arms would settle around his neck, and his would drift up her back, massaging those shoulders that held the weight of the world; she’d bite his bottom lip and he’d try to bear that weight for her.

Kylo takes his cock in hand, running his thumb up and down the length, and imagines it’s her, instead.

He’d rid her of her apron first; while it suited her, it hid so much from view. She’d loosen his tie and cast it away, and he’d shrug off his jacket, both of them struggling and refusing to let go. Her hands would trace the expanse of his back, skate over the muscles before moving to his stomach, down his abdomen until her thumbs hooked on his waistband.

His breath would hitch; it hitches now.

He’d bury himself in her mouth, in her neck, in her collarbone, chasing her pulse as it beat faster and faster. His hands would move to her waist, then to her neck, cup her before sliding down to palm her through her shirt. She’d moan, long and glorious, and he’d swallow her noises as she arched up into him.

They’d dispense of their shirts rather quickly, and the dim light of the shop would bounce off her bra, off her breasts. Kylo hisses as his cock grows harder in his hand and begins to thrust, imagining grinding against the V of Rey’s jeans and moaning into her skin.

There wouldn’t be time for teasing, not really, though he’d want to. He’d linger on her breasts, unsnap her bra and send it to elope with his tie, feel her heave and writhe beneath his hands. He’d kiss his way down to her dusky nipples and roll them between his fingers before taking one into his mouth, and, oh, how she’d keen. Her hands would struggle with his belt, too distracted to care, until at last it came undone and she could set it aside. He imagines her hand nudging his cock through his dress pants and nearly comes right then and there.

She’d move slowly, he thinks, despite the risk of someone seeing. He focuses on the idea of her hand moving against him, first through his trousers and then shucking those down and leaving him in his underwear while her deft fingers trace his straining outline. He’d make his way down and rid her of hers, as well, feeling her wetness even through that last thin layer of clothing.

He feels himself starting to tighten and moves his hand a little more slowly, dragging it out until his climax is a buzz in the back of his brain. It’s been ages since he’s been with a woman, so just imagining her, begging him to fill her while he toys with her clit, is enough to send him over the edge. Kylo pulses in his own hand as he comes, Rey’s name whispered on his breath.

He stays bent against the wall until he can come back to himself, then washes himself clean. Part of him feels that this was long time coming, this sort of fantasy; another part wonders if it’s too much, too fast (of course, the former part of him informs him that he really doesn’t care.) Kylo turns off the water and steps onto the bath rug, glancing around for his towel. He stalks out into the living room with it draped around his hips and goes to check his phone, which remains where he left it on the couch.

Darth, stupid thing that he is, trails after him, tongue lolling as he hopes for food.

Kylo picks up the phone and slides past the lock screen, hoping for a message, only to find that his notifications are (depressingly) empty.

He sets the phone aside once more and pets Darth on the head. Then he makes his way towards his bedroom and closes the door behind him.

***

 Rey doesn’t sleep well that night. She stays awake for hours on end, staring at the ceiling with strings of numbers flashing through her head. When she does manage sleep, she’s haunted by her dreams: her brother, out on the street and desperate for money; Finn, back at Astrobase, worn away with time; Maz, sitting in an apartment alone, nothing around her but gathering dust; the shop sign, hanging off its perch, worn and battered. It drops into an abyss, and Rey wakes, terrified.

There’s a cold feeling in her gut when she rises in the morning. She does her best to ignore it and checks her phone, instead. Her thoughts stray to Ben, and her chest aches. It’s too much, too early, so she leaves the phone on her nightstand and heads into the kitchen.

Poe rises not long after she does, roused by the sound of her cereal hitting her bowl. He presses a kiss to her cheek before swiping the box and pouring a bowl of his own. They eat together in silence, both of them too tired to talk.

“It’s going to be okay.” He says, at last.

Rey sighs. Her spoon clatters against the side of her bowl. “How can you know that for sure?”

“Because.” Poe says, shrugging. “It’s us. Has anything really ever stopped up before?”

His optimism makes her smile, if only just. Rey casts her gaze into her bowl. Even if everything does go wrong – if they lose the shop, their apartment, their tentative friends – well, they’ll still have each other. The cold in her belly starts to thaw, its edges gone soft with something like hope.

Poe has the day off, but he drives her to work, anyway. Rey waves goodbye as he drives away, then turns and fits her key into the front door of the shop. The doorbells chime as she walks in. Rey breathes in and, just like that, she’s home again.

She takes her time prepping the shop. The music coming in over the radio is soft; it finds itself in concert with the sounds of boiling water and clattering dishes. Rey glides her hands over the different syrups and hovers by the espresso machine, watching the sun rise and the world come back to life.

Maz seems surprised to see her when she arrives. Rey feels her push a little closer as she brushes past, a small vote of confidence that steals away some of her burden. It’s enough to make her want to cry all over again.

The morning rush is, for once, an actual rush. The last day of November sees a return of the crowds they once knew; Rey, delighted, calls Finn and asks him to come in an hour early. He does, and enthusiastically so. They dance around each other as they prepare orders, exchanging dull tipped barbs that evolve into backhanded compliments, which, in turn, evolve into real compliments that grow more flowery by the second.

Rey laughs more than she has in weeks.

The crowd doesn’t seem to die, lasting and transforming into the lunch rush without a noticeable break. They sell out of cookies by twelve thirty and scones by one, leaving Maz both pleased and frustrated with their continued crowd. Finn graces her with a kiss on the forehead and a saucy wink, before declaring that it’s her baking that will save them all. This mollifies her and sends her back into the kitchen, though Rey can hear her occasionally grumbling about that ‘stupid, manipulative boy’.

They all stay on until three, when their rush finally seems to come to an end. Rey finds herself leaning on Finn, her chest heaving as she tries to catch her breath.

“What do you think all that was about?” She hears him ask.

“I dunno.” She admits. “Maybe everyone’s getting worried about Christmas shopping?”

She feels his laugh more than hears it; his closeness makes her smile. “Yeah, that might be it.”

She sends Maz home not long after that, and finds herself alone in the kitchen, the dishwasher humming by her legs. She takes the free moment to check her phone and finds an email waiting for her to read. The sender makes her pause and her stomach turn to rock: it’s the bank, likely calling to collect. Rey opens the email with shaking fingers and nearly collapses at what she sees.

_Your lease payment for the month of November has been received. Your next payment will be due December 31 st. Thank you._

She immediately checks the shop’s bank account, but finds that all their money remains. With a shaking voice she calls Finn to her side and has him read the email, then check the account, himself.

“You’re saying a ghost paid for our lease?” He says, just as confused as she is.

“I don’t know.” She says breathlessly. “Maybe it’s a mistake?”

Finn goes to answer, but the doorbells chime again. He only has a moment to shrug before disappearing. Rey finds herself laughing, almost hysterical in her relief.

She decides to chase her suspicion and calls the bank, desperate to be sure. They inform her that the email is, in fact, not a mistake, and that her payment has been received and processed. She thanks them and hangs up, then sinks to the kitchen floor. Finn comes back and finds her cradling the phone to her chest, her face covered in tears.

“It’s not a mistake.” She tells him. “I can keep the shop open. _We can keep the shop open_.”

Finn stares, open mouth, then lets out a warrior’s whoop. He pulls her to her feet and dances her around Jakku Java’s kitchen. Rey’s tears turn to laughter, her joy wild and unbound.

They argue about which one of them gets to call Poe and tell him; in the end, they do it together. Poe takes it upon himself to drive to the shop once he hears the news, his eyes as big and wet as Rey’s. He reads the email himself and promptly throws himself into Finn’s arms and planting a kiss on the cheek.

Rey seriously considers closing the shop early, just so they can all recover from the shock. She doesn’t, (for there is such a thing as tempting fate) but she takes a long, long moment to close her eyes and breathe. The boys hover over her, though, and their laughter is never-ending; in the end, it doesn’t feel like a work day at all.

Six comes more quickly than she could have imagined. Rey makes Finn close up the shop and slips outside to call BB, who, oddly enough, has been absence for the entire day. Their dial tone makes her head rattle. Rey leans against the wall of the back alley, waiting for them to answer.

“Hello?”

“BB?”

“Rey! Why are you calling me? Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong.” Rey laughs. “Something’s wonderful, actually. I can’t explain it all right now, but would you like to come over tonight? We’re having a celebration.”

“I would love to.” BB says, warmth filling their voice. “Give me an hour to wrap up work and I’ll head your way.”

“Will do. See you soon!” Rey ends the call with a smile. Then she rejoins her boys, who’ve begun fighting each other with the chairs they’re supposed to be stacking.

They loop their arms around her shoulders, when they finally leave the shop. Rey basks in their warmth and, for the first time in a month, allows herself to relax.

***

Kylo does not eavesdrop on Bingley’s phone call with Rey. He pretends to be engrossed in a new spreadsheet when Bingley comes waltzing into his office, only looking up after what he thinks is a reasonable amount of time to wait.

The look Bingley gives him informs him that he’s not fooling anyone. “So,” they says. “Are you going to tell her?”

If Bingley were not in on the scheme, Kylo would send them packing from his office and maybe from the company. But because he trusts the enigma who has become his PA, he only sighs. “No.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not exactly something you just declare.” Kylo snaps. “Oh, yes, hello, I paid your month’s lease for your coffee shop. No, there’s no reason, and you definitely don’t have to pay me back.”

Bingley has the dignity not to laugh in his face at once. “That’s not a bad practice run.” They say. “I’d work on the tone, if I were you, but if that’s the way you want to put it –”

“I’m not telling her.”

“But you really should.” Bingley whines. “If you would just get down off your high horse –”

“She’s feel obligated to me and try to pay me back if I did.” Kylo interrupts.

Bingley’s mouth snaps shut.

“I have thought this through.” Kylo continues. “She doesn’t need to know it was me. All she knows is that, right now, her shop is safe. I can continue to be her…friend and work with what I have from there.”

Bingley stays quiet for some time. Kylo feels himself growing impatient and forces himself to breathe. He’s nearly turned back to his spreadsheet when Bingley decides to speak.

“That is…shockingly noble of you.”

“Yes, well, it’s been known to happen.” Kylo mutters.

“It really hasn’t.” Bingley is bouncing on the balls of their feet, smiling for some reason Kylo can’t fathom. “Hey, do you at least want to come to the party they’re having tonight to celebrate? Even if they don’t know you’re involved, Rey’ll be happy to see you.”

The snort that leaves him almost hurts. “No, she won’t.” He mutters. He ignores Bingley’s sputtering and sighs. “I didn’t – well, last time I was there –” He trails off, feeling almost helpless. “When I left, things were…awkward.”

The look Bingley gives him is half annoyed, half fond. “That’s not too different from usual, boss.”

“But it is.” Kylo bites. He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I think it would be best if I didn’t go. Your offer, however, is considerate. Thank you.”

To his surprise, Bingley lets the subject drop. They lean against his doorway, eyes narrowed. Kylo twitches in his seat, feeling for all the world as though he’s being examined.

“You’ve changed, Ben Solo.” Bingley say, at last. “You’re not the same man who hired me.”

Kylo goes to reply, but the words stick in his throat. Bingley smiles, then departs from his office. He hears them walking down the hallway and listens until their footsteps fade away.

They’ve left his door open again. Kylo stands with a grimace and moves to close it, only to find himself frozen beneath bright florescent lights.

He has changed, he can feel it. It’s not a pleasant sensation; it’s sticky and feels too much like caring, but he doubts he can rid himself of it, now. Kylo hesitates, then sits back down. The door to his office remains hanging open. The spreadsheet he was pretending to work on remains empty.

He pulls out his phone and considers texting Rey under the guise of asking after her day. Their last messages remain open on his phone. He goes to type, then changes his mind. Let her come to him, if she wants to. He will not force himself on her.

He dawdles in his office for a little while longer before giving up and going home. The walk back is cold, too cold for a man who left his winter jacket at home. Yet he refuses to tuck in on himself. Kylo walks with his head held high, an unconscious eye always looking forward, searching for a familiar form on the long city streets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *ups the rating but doesn't have them /actually/ bang* The good news is that the rating change will continue to be relevant...there's hope for our nerds yet! 
> 
> There's something of a fandom debate going on right now about the dichotomy of Ben Solo and Kylo Ren - check out ohtze's blog if you want more details on that. I'm not sure if I agree with them or not, but my fic is definitely playing with that dichotomy, and I sort of kind of love it. Big cups of cocoa and happiness to you all; thank you for staying with me!
> 
> Also, forgot to mention: I have a tumblr now: copper_nailpolish.tumblr.com. If you're interested, I may give you heads up on updates, show you some of the writing, and so on...otherwise I'll just post Star Wars stuff. XOXO


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a party and a development (that I think you'll all appreciate).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit - I've been getting a bunch of asks about this, so to clarify: BB8 is Bingley/BB in this story. I refer to them as 'they' and have written them as an agender character.
> 
> ~party streamers and hats~ I'm too tired to make a proper note, but there are fun things in this chapter!  
> I'm trying to respond to more of your comments because you're all awesome and you make my day every time you post something new. Big hugs and lots of good things to all of you!

Poe stops at the grocery store on their way home and loads the car down with more chocolate than Rey ever thought existed. She spends the entire ride home trying not to laugh as she sits half-buried beneath a mountain of paper bags, while Poe and Finn lose their shit in the front seats. They’re a loud, raucous, celebratory mess, crammed into the Falconlike sardines. 

It’s the happiest Rey's felt in weeks.

Snow is just starting to fall by the time they pull up to the apartment complex. The three of them lug their prizes up the stairs, leaning on each other as they try not to trip. Poe all but kicks down their front door when they arrive, his smile wild and his curls kingly. Rey catches Finn staring and chokes on her laughter. 

They set the groceries down on the kitchen table before migrating to the couch. Rey's one fleece blanket is shared between them; it's too small to properly cover any one of them, but large enough to make the effort worthwhile. The couch becomes a mess of limbs and uncomfortable positions, but none of the trio really mind.

They’re channeling surfing and bickering when BB arrives. Rey, Poe, and Finn stumble to the door with the blanket draped around their shoulders and stumble over one another as they try to open the door. BB takes one look at them and bursts into laughter. Finn invites them to join in, but they politely decline.

The move back to the couch is less than elegant, but the four of them make it, in the end. Poe some disentangles himself from the group and makes them promise to decide on a movie to watch before he wanders into the kitchen. When Rey asks where he’s going, he shouts back a promise of food. She narrows her eyes at him and receives a wink for her suspicion. With a sigh, she lets it go.

She, Finn, and BB have narrowed their choices to three movies by the time Poe returns. His bounty is great and distracts them completely: a bowl of chocolate and fresh made popcorn, a plate of pizza bites, and four cold beers. Rey seizes the distraction and turns on the movie of her choice: her friends groan, but no one moves to change it.

They’re fifteen minutes into the newest _Cinderella_ when Rey feels the urge to look at her phone.

She wiggles, dislodging her square inch of blanket, and pulls the device from her back pocket. Her notifications are empty, but she keeps looking; something’s not there that’s supposed to be. Something’s missing. She catches BB staring at her and tucks her phone away, feeling strangely guilty.

BB only shrugs and smiles before turning back to the movie. Ella is buried in work on screen, her face covered with ash. Rey feels a shock of sympathy as she slips back into movie-mode. She watches as Ella breaks, running from the house and into the woods astride her steady grey horse.

Her attention wanders, but only a little; the nagging feeling in her head won’t leave her alone. Something’s not right. Rey frowns and watches as Ella races away from the CGI elk, only to stumble onto –

Kit.

Ben.

The thought hits her between the eyes with such clarity, it’s a shock she didn’t realize it before. On screen, Kit and Ella circle one another, curious but just out of reach.  

Rey covers her mouth to keep herself from laughing as the banter starts. Ben is no prince charming, and definitely no Richard Madden, but she’s reminded of him, all the same; Kit's bold and awkward, just like him. Rey takes a sip of her beer and cradles the bottle to her chest.

She hasn’t texted him since he ran from the shop, nor has he texted her. On screen, Kit and Ella part. Rey feels BB's eyes drift back to her.

The urge to glare at them is strong. She's struggling enough on her own, darn it; she does not need external pressure, especially not when BB  _shouldn't_ know what she's thinking!

Rey holds her ground for another minute, her hands curling into fists. Then, she sighs. Her brother glances at her, confused; she waves him away and retrieves her phone. She hesitates for a moment longer, then opens a new message.

_Hello_

She sets it aside, screen down and buried in the cushions, before taking another sip of her beer. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees BB rolls their eyes, but their smile speaks of pride.

Her phone buzzes. Rey fixes her eyes on the television. She waits until Ella’s made her way back home before she goes to reply.

_Hey._

_Have you left work yet?_ She asks. It seems a silly thing, especially on a Friday night, but she wouldn’t put it past him to still be behind his desk.

_I have._

_Liar._ She smirks. _Send pic of Darth as proof._

The picture she gets makes her laugh. The camera’s at an odd angle, as though Ben’s lying on the couch and is too lazy to sit up properly. Darth looks elated, tongue hanging out as he smiles into the camera. Rey screenshots the image before she replies.

_Thank you. Give him head pats from me and BB, plz._

_Maybe he doesn’t want head pats._ Ben replies. She can hear him grumbling, all the way across the city.

 _What’re you talking about?_ She replies. _All dogs want head pats._

There’s a shriek from on screen; Rey looks up and sees Ella’s stepsisters chasing one another, and the wicked stepmother in a proper frenzy. Ella’s standing in the doorway to the room, looking like she’s laughing at all of them.  

 _What’re you doing tonight?_ Rey asks, when she looks away from the screen.

_Nothing exciting. You?_

_A celebration._ A familiar warm feeling curls around her heart. _Something amazing happened today. It’s so hard to explain, I can’t quite believe it’s all real._

A long moment, then a response. _What happened?_

 _The lease for the shop was paid off by a ghost._ Rey looks up and catches her brother staring at her now, amusement written across his face. He asks a question without words; she sticks her tongue out at him. _We’re not going to have to close._

 _Seems suspicious_. The text she gets back says. _But also good. Congratulations :)_

It makes her giggle a bit, getting him to send even the approximation of an emoji. She reassures him that she’s checked everything out and that it’s valid before sending a line of her own over-excited smiles.

On screen, the fairy godmother has appeared. Rey sets her phone aside for a moment and allows herself to get sucked in, watching as pumpkins turn to carriages and mice become white horses.

The idea strikes her just as Ella ascends into her carriage. _You should join us_. She says, fingers flying. _We’re watching movies and eating junk food. Nothing serious, but it is fun._

She times the minute it takes him to reply by listening to the beat of her heart. It’s pounding in her chest, in time with the fireworks bursting over the prince’s castle.

_I’m not sure I’d be all that welcome._

_Why not?_ Rey scoffs. Her mood drops at once, a start contrast to the joy on screen.

_I’ve not made a good acquaintance of your brother, nor your Finn. I sincerely doubt a former employee would be too excited to see me._

_You wouldn’t be an Astrobase employee if you came over._ Rey rolls her eyes. _You’d just be Ben._

She waits for a reply, but nothing comes. Eventually she sets her phone down with a sigh and turns back to the movie. Kit and Ella have found each other and are flowing together in a dance that seems more like a marriage proposal than a waltz, Ella’s dress a work of art in its design. Rey smiles and lets the scene move her, losing herself in the moment.

When the waltz ends, she finds that there’s a hand on her shoulder. BB has wormed their way off the couch and is nodding towards the kitchen. Rey furrows her brow, confused, but follows them, leaving her brother and Finn alone in the semi-dark.

“What’s wrong?” She asks, careful to keep her voice soft.

BB smiles. “Nothing. You’re texting Ben, though, aren’t you?”

Rey blushes and feels as though she’s been caught. She fixes her gaze on the floor. “Maybe.”

BB’s sigh makes her glance up. She’s surprised to see them shaking their head, smile tinged with exasperation. They start to say something, but seem to change their mind. “He’s being stubborn and refusing to come over, isn’t he?” They ask instead.

“He thinks Finn and Poe won’t want him here.”

BB chuckles, then glances over their shoulder. Rey follows their gaze and finds that her boys are now snuggled close to one another, Finn’s hand carding through Poe’s hair.

“Honestly, they may not want us here.” BB giggles. “So how about we go bother our friend, yeah? Give thme some time to work things out?”

Rey wants to leap at the chance, but she hesitates. BB seems to sense her doubt. “If he gets pissy, we can get in my car and leave.” They say.

It’s tempting. Rey bites her lip and waits a moment longer before giving in. BB’s grin is wide and bright, even in the dim light.

“Fantastic!” They say, linking their arm with hers. “Then let’s go!”

Rey’s not too surprised when she starts to smile. The two of them creep through the living room, nearly making it to the door without being seen. Finn looks back when he hears the doorknob click and raises a curious brow.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“BB left something of theirs at home.” Rey lies. “We’re just going out to get it.” 

“How much have you had to drink?” Poe’s voice is muffled. Rey sees him trying to turn around and muffles a giggle; he’s half-buried beneath the blanket and Finn’s blocking his view. 

“Half a beer each.” BB says. “We’ll drive safely, I promise.” 

Poe narrows his eyes, suspicious, but Rey sees Finn squeeze his shoulder. “Text us when you get there.” He says before shuffling back around. 

BB and Rey wave goodbye and slip from the apartment. They stay silent until they reach the car, and then burst into laughter. 

The roads to Ben’s apartment are familiar in the dark. The street lights glance off the roof of BB’s car as they go, tires making tracks in the fresh fallen snow. Rey closes her eyes and listens as winter silences the sounds of the city. 

She’s halfway through a daydream about coffee brown eyes when BB pulls the car over. The fancy apartment complex glows in the cool colors of night, appeared out the night like a mirage. She’s almost surprised to see it. 

“Why don’t you go on up?” BB suggests as she slides out of the car. “I’ll stay down here and approach when it’s safe.”

“Oh, you’re throwing me to the wolves, are you?” Rey's laughter bounces off the building walls. "Or, wolf, really. Darth wouldn't hurt a fly."

BB snorts and rolls their eyes. "Shut up and go defeat the dog for me."

Rey grins and starts up the steps, shooting mock-accusing looks backward until BB fades from sight.

Ben’s apartment is at the end of a long hall. Rey slows as it comes into view, her footsteps too loud in the snow-kissed silence. She doesn’t realize that she’s stopped until she’s hovering just in front of the door, her hand raised but not moving.

The cold bites into her cheeks. Rey takes a deep breath and knocks.

Darth starts barking at once. Her tension dissolves as the door opens and she sees Ben, fighting to keep his dog from tackling her.

“Rey?” In his surprise, Ben loses his grip on Darth. The dog lunges for her, tail wagging like he’s trying to take flight. Rey goes down laughing.

“What’re you doing here?”

“I’m visiting Darth, of course.” Rey says, in between doggy kisses. The look Ben gives her bleeds exasperation, but she sees a smile in his eyes. “Now, are we gonna go inside or not?”

It takes the both of them to get Darth back inside the apartment, and even then it’s hard to get him away from Rey.

Ben has to physically pick the dog up and hold him back so Rey can make it to the couch. He comes running to her side the moment Ben lets him go; Rey sinks to her knees and coos over him, pressing her forehead to his.   

“Such a good dog.” She says, glancing up at Ben. “It’s almost as if you don’t give him enough attention.”

Ben snorts. He’s hovering, she notices, not sitting down on the couch next to her. “Hardly. You just tolerate his antics more than I am.”

“Ah, I see.” Her phone buzzes in her pocket. Rey pushes herself onto the couch and checks it, her brow creasing as she frowns. Ben seems to sense her confusion and sits down next to her.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s BB.” Rey says. “They were supposed to come up with me, but they say they’re going back to their apartment to get something and that they’ll be back later.”

Something in Ben’s face changes; a little more frustration bleeds in to the amusement. “BB – Bingley brought you here?”

“Yeah.” Rey nods. “They figured that you were being stubborn and decided that we should drag you out.” She allows herself a smirk. “So as soon as they get back, you are coming out with us.”

“And I assume you’ll be taking me to your apartment?”

“Yeah, I will.”

Ben’s growing smile is more cocksure than cheerful. Rey feels a sliver of doubt sink into her stomach. “Bit of an issue, that.” He says. “I’ve just ordered Chinese food and it’ll be showing up within the hour. I’ve already paid for it, too, so I’m not inclined to let it out sit in the cold.”

Rey slumps into the couch. “Did BB warn you that we were coming?” She asks. “Or are you just preternaturally stubborn?”    

“Believe me, I had no idea you were coming.” She knows he can’t be lying; his voice is flat as a board. “I thought my food had shown up early.”

“It probably would’ve been undercooked, if it had.”

“Well, then, it’s a good thing you weren’t Chinese food.”

Rey laughs and snuggles deeper into the couch.

A silence falls over the apartment, one that threatens to turn awkward, but she refuses to let it. Instead, she sighs and closes her eyes. “So this is what you were doing tonight? Sitting on the couch and eating bad Chinese?”

She feels Ben relax beside her. “How is it that different from what you were doing?”

“Simple. I was doing it with other people.” She opens one eye. “And it wasn’t Chinese food, it was chocolate and junk.”

“Ah, I see. Much different, indeed. And I’m not alone,” he says. “I have Darth. He’s company enough.”

There’s a jolt in her chest and it startles her. Rey opens her other eye and sits up a little, her frown only a hint of the nervous hurt she feels. “So should I go, then?”

“No!” The word sounds like it’s been punched out of him. Rey tilts her head and considers him as he is now: slightly panicked and flushed, like he realizes how his last sentence sounded. She lets him hang a moment longer before taking pity.

“Well, good.” She says with a smile. “Because your couch is comfortable, and it’s gonna take a lot to get me back out into the snow.”

***

He’s never sure what to call himself when he’s around Rey. Kylo Ren doesn’t seem right, because that’s not the name she knows him by, and that’s not who he is around her. To her, he’s Ben. But he hasn’t been Ben in years, and Ben’s been silent for so long that Kylo Ren doesn’t know what to do. It’s a conflict and he hates it, wants to hate her for starting it in him, but he _can’t_. He’s hopeless around her and it’s only getting worse, because now she’s on his couch and he’s half convinced he’s dreaming.

Ben knows he’s staring, but he can’t help it. Rey – _Rey_ – has shown up out of the blue, won over his dog, and is _in his apartment._ He opens his mouth to speak, but can’t find any words to say; the world feels like it’s gone sideways, but he doesn’t want to right it.

Rey doesn’t seem to feel the same. “This is extremely exciting.” She deadpans, breaking the silence. 

“I’m not sure why you assumed it would be exciting.” He admits. “You’ve clearly got the wrong idea about my lifestyle.”

She laughs, and it lights up his whole apartment. Ben ducks his head to hide his smile. It’s lucky that she seems to find him amusing; anyone else would think he’s lost his mind.

Then again, he’s not certain that he hasn’t.

***

Rey watches Ben out of the corner of her eye, under the guise of looking around his apartment. He looks nervous, she thinks. His fingers are woven together in front of him and he’s hunched forward, elbows on his knees. He is most definitely not looking at her. She glances away for a moment and pretends she didn’t catch him staring; pretends he didn’t catch her.

Her fingers twitch against her thighs, aching for something she can’t quite name.

An idea strikes. Rey reaches for her phone and pulls up a message to BB.

_Am going to try something really stupid. If I text again in five minutes, come back. If not, go back to my place. I’ll see you tomorrow._

She sets down the phone, her heart fluttering. Then, she stretches. Her hair swings off the couch, falling past her shoulders. She’s got his attention now, but he’s trying to hide it. Rey sees him lick his lips, his eyes fixed on the wall before them.

She considers subtly for a moment longer, then decides against it. Instead, she turns towards him, her head held high and her teeth worrying her bottom lip. There’s something stirring in his eyes as she moves closer, something deep and dark that makes her want to _burn_.

Rey thinks it’s important that she leans in first, so she does. She presses the ghost of a kiss to Ben’s lips and prays that she hasn’t made a mistake.

***

Her lips are a soft, cool press against his own. Ben feels all the air leave his lungs, feels his hands start to shake, but then she’s gone and looking up at him with eyes full of uncertainty.

“Was that alright?”

Ben struggles to find the words, his mouth gone dry. Instead, he nods, and pulls her back to him.

He winds his fingers through her hair, enraptured by its softness. She climbs into his lap and wraps her arms around his neck, refusing to break their lips apart. He gives himself over to her in a moment, breaking as she whimpers. She sucks on his bottom lip, pushing herself closer until they’re chest to chest. He wonders if she can feel his heart beating, because it feels like it’s going to explode.

She breaks the kiss and presses her forehead to his, a smile curling across her lips. A sound that escapes him is most definitely not a whimper; he draws her back and lets her steal it away. 

Her hands are soft against his day-old stubble, which she seems to find it amusing. She caresses his jaw, following the line of it first with her fingers and then her lips. Ben lifts his chin and sighs as she makes her way down his neck, gently sucking on his fluttering pulse. His hands move to her waist and squeeze; she moves to his collarbone and hovers there, sucking hard before bathing it with an apology of kisses. Her hands are stroking down his chest, fiddling with the buttons of his shirt.

The decision to move isn’t all that hard to make. Ben gives Rey what warning her can without saying a word, slips his hands down so they run across her ass, then lifts her from the couch. She squeaks and buries her face in his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist so he can carry her to his bedroom.

He won’t admit it to her, but his erection makes walking a bit difficult.

They collapse on the bed together. He rolls onto his back and lets her settle herself above him; she resumes her quest to rid him of his shirt. Her hands slip in her eagerness, and it makes him chuckle. She raises an eyebrow, then kisses his nose.

He helps her rid him of his shirt, then pulls her to him, her breasts flush against his skin. His hands slide down, and he traces their crest with his thumbs; above him, Rey whimpers. Their lips come together as his hands cover her completely. She kisses with teeth and tongue as he squeezes, her knees finding purchase on either side of his thighs as she settles, grinding against him. She swallows his groan and smiles as he responds in kind.

Their clothing goes off in stages: her shirt joins his, followed by her belt. Her bra goes next, after a moment of fiddling the feeling of her skin on his has him whispering curses into her neck, his hands shaking as they cup her breasts. He kisses down until he’s settled between them, nipping the curve of her cleavage as his thumbs knead her nipples. She’s shivering on top of him, each touch eliciting a melody of sounds from her pretty mouth. He moves back up to kiss her before bending down again and taking a redden bud in his mouth. She keens. He smiles.

He teases her for as long as he can without becoming uncomfortable, switching hands for mouth and mouth for hands. She’s a mess when he pulls off of her, her hands desperate over his belt. They remove it together, then move to his pants.

Rey kisses down his stomach until she’s just above his waistband, her hands hovering over his erection but not quite touching. He groans something that sounds like her name, and she laughs. Then, at last, she touches him, and his world tilts sideways.

She’s gentle, at first, almost hesitant. As she grows comfortable, her grip grows strong; Ben has to bite his wrist to keep from panting out her praise. She seems to understand him, anyway. Her hands still moving, she moves up and pushes his wrist out of the way, drawing him in to a heart stopping kiss.

“Don’t hide from me.” She says, and it takes all of his willpower not to come there and then.

Her pants come off, followed by both of their underwear. She’s straddled across his thigh; he can feel her wetness soaking his skin as she rocks back and forth, soothing her own need for friction. One hand is still wrapped around his cock, the contact unbearably sweet; the other is tangled in his hair. He has a hand on her hip and another on her breast, worrying the red nipple as she wiggles in delight. They kiss like a thunderstorm, like a natural disaster, and it’s the best thing he’s ever felt in his life.

He’s seized by an idea; rather, a compulsion. With another gentle kiss to her lips, he flips them over. For a moment, her eyes capture him: confused but trusting, dark and wanting. It makes his heart ache. With a reverent kiss to her brow, he makes his way down, down until his mouth brushes the curls that protect her sex. His fingers drag along her lower abdomen, across her inner thighs; his lips follow them. His name leaves Rey’s mouth like a prayer, like it’s the air she breathes.

He hesitates, then lets his fingers brush her clit. She bucks up and moans; he continues at once. He rubs the overstressed bud with his thumb, kissing his way up and down her thighs until they’re shaking and she’s begging for his tongue. He obliges her with a smile and allows himself a taste of her wetness. It’s a surprise that her gasp is as quiet as it is, because he can feel the tension soaring through her body. He dips a finger into his mouth, then presses it gently past her folds. Rey’s eyelashes flutter as she rocks herself against it.

He adds another, a moment later, his tongue still moving against her clit.

“Ben,” he hears her, his name a breathless, cherished thing. “Ben, I’m going to come if you don’t stop.”

“Good.” He whispers, and feels her shudder. She drives herself against him once, twice, three more times, and then she’s coming, clenched around his fingers with her head thrown back and her mouth open wide.

Ben pulls out and moves up to her mouth, kissing her through the aftershocks. He swallows her moans and feels her tongue tracing his teeth, tasting herself against him. Her hands settle on his hips and hold him above her. When she opens her eyes, they’re glazed but content.

Ben feels his cock twitching, aching as it throbs, but does his best to be patient.

When Rey comes back to herself, she pulls him to her and kisses him, fierce and languid in her pleasure. Ben feels her roll on top of him and makes no move to stop her, his breath catching as she hesitates above him. He groans as she sinks down on him, one hand wrapped around him to guide him in. She’s slick and warm and _perfect_ , and then she’s moving, and his mind disconnects from his mouth. He hears himself moaning her name, panting, praising her high and low as she rocks, as their thighs brush together and as he pushes deeper, deeper into her. She’s bent over him, then, with her hair tickling his neck, and she’s pressed against him, her lips dancing over his, and his hands are tight on her waist as she rides him, and, and, and, and –

He comes in a blaze of white and heat, Rey wrapped tightly around him.

She stays on top of him as he sinks back down, pulling off only when his heart stops beating its way out of his chest. Even then, though, she refuses to keep herself away, curling into his side with her head pillowed on his chest.

Ben thinks about speaking, about reminding her of her brother and friends, back at her own apartment. Then she sighs, and her breath tickles his skin, and he reconsiders. He holds her close and lets his eyes drift shut, the world slowly fading into darkness.

***

Rey lets herself stay in the realm of half-sleep for an hour before forcing herself awake. Ben grumbles something incomprehensible beneath her, his arm tightening around her as she pushes herself upright. She kisses him on the nose before slipping from the bed.

“Where are you going?” She hears him ask, his voice muggy with sleep.

“I think I should go home.” She says. “They’ll all be wondering where I am.”

“Let them wonder.” Ben rises from the bed like a beast from the deep, his hair a mess and his legs wobbly beneath him. He drapes his arms around her and presses a kiss to her crown. Rey sighs and leans back into him, the warmth of him far more appealing than the cool apartment air.

“I can’t just do that.” She grumbles, resisting the urge to moan as his large hands knead into her shoulders. "And don’t you have Chinese food waiting for you?”

“Lied about the Chinese food.” He says. Rey half-turns in his arms and gives his chest a swat. He has the gall to offer her a genuine smile in return, the fucker, one she can’t help but respond to in kind.

He leans down and peppers kisses across her jaw, practically hunched over her as his lips trace lower. Rey feels what remains of her resistance crumble and lets out a put-upon sigh.

“If I’m going to stay here, at least let me shower.”

Ben pulls back and meets her eye, the smile on his face growing wider. “I think I can allow that.”

Rey swats at him again and pulls away, determined not to shiver in the cold. She makes Ben show her the bathroom before shooing him away, ignoring the way her body complains at his absence. She steps into the shower and (after fiddling with the faucet for a good minute), rejoices as the water washes her body clean.

***

He’s still naked, wandering around his apartment while Rey takes her time in his shower. This may not be the best idea, as the mere _thought_ of Rey in his shower sends a tight wave of arousal coursing through him, but really, what’s the point in clothes _now_? Darth gives him an odd look from his dog bed. Ben ignores him; the dog’s seen him much worse.

He wanders until he finds his phone, intent on sending a text to Bingley with instructions to alert her brother to her whereabouts. Instead, he finds a text already waiting for him.

_Boss, I hope you got your act together and did right by our girl. If not, I’m coming for you, and so is her brother. And his boyfriend._

Ben does not roll his eyes, but it’s a near thing. If he didn’t understand where they were coming from (or, frankly, some of their concerns), he wouldn’t bother with a reply. The problem is, he does.

_I think I did right. I hope I did, anyway._

_I’m keeping her tonight. Tell her brother he’ll see her tomorrow, and that she’ll be returned to him safe and sound._

He keeps the phone with him as he goes to find Rey a towel. It buzzes just as he fishes one out of the closet.

_She better be. I don’t want to know anything about anything, though, so take care._

Ben manages a chuckle. He silences the phone and plugs it in before heading for the bathroom, towel cradled in his hands.

Rey’s humming echoes over the water, slipping through the door and curling around his ears. Ben considers knocking, then changes his mind; the chances she’ll hear him are slim to none. So instead, he opens the door, stepping inside without a word. The glass door to the shower is already covered in steam. He can see her moving just beyond it, her hair draped down her back like a sheet.

His cock twitches. His grip tightens on the towel.

***

Rey knows he’s watching, but she doesn’t really mind. The heat from his shower is a welcome relief from the long day, and his water pressure is brilliant enough to make her want to cry. She hums a little bit louder, turning her back to the shower door and bending over to retrieve his shampoo.

(He’s a fiend for hair products. She’ll tease him about that later.)

She makes him wait while she soaks her hair, running her hands through it and rubbing her scalp. Then she lets her hands start to wander. She knows he can only see vague outlines through the steamed up glass, but the idea feels like enough. She traces a hand down her sternum and outlines her breasts. One hand stays there, thumbing over a nipple, while the other traces downward to play with the curls above her cunt.

She hears his breath hitch and smiles. The hand that’s lowest dips down to her inner thighs, dancing across the skin.

His voice is shaking when he says her name. Rey turns her face towards him and smirks.

“Well? Aren’t you coming in?”

The glass door falls open. Rey flinches at the sudden onslaught of cold air and slips further into the shower, hiding under the falling water.

Ben’s eyes are wild, pupils blown wide. His bottom lip is bleeding. For a moment, he just stands there, staring with one hand reaching for her.

Rey feels something in her soften. She moves forward and presses herself to him; he shudders and wraps his arms around her waist. She stands on her toes, confident in his ability to catch her should she slip.

“What did you do?” She asks, before pressing a kiss to his lips.

He growls instead of responding, his hands tightening on her back. Their kisses are slow, languid. She feels his teeth nips at her bottom lip, only to be replaced by his tongue.

“You’re beautiful.” He whispers, in a moment when they part. Then his lips are back on hers, and Rey feels herself melt completely.

They go slow, hands exploring in the wealth of the water. It’s not until he’s pressing himself into her thigh that she allows a hand to linger, wrapping around his cock and teasing the eager head. He bows his head and buries himself in her neck, whispering her name like a prayer. She presses a kiss to his temple and tries to hide her smile.

Proper sex is not going to work standing up, and they both know it. It’s Rey who comes up with the solution.

“I want to try something.” She whispers, her hand slipping from Ben’s cock. “But it’s not something we can do in here.”

For a moment, she doesn’t think he’s heard her. Then one of his hands leaves her back and reaches, turning the water off. He pulls back and looks at her, eyebrow raised.

Rey does not laugh at him, she doesn’t. She presses down her smile and guides him from the shower. When she shivers with cold, he pulls her close. The affection that roars through her is almost enough to stop her heart.

They’re both dripping wet, but neither one of them cares. Rey presses Ben back until he’s half-sitting on the counter top, then sinks to her knees. He’s still unbearably tall like this, but things seem more reasonable, now.

Ben seems to get the idea and lowers himself what he can. Rey rests her hand on his thigh and gives it a squeeze.

“Don’t worry. I can handle this.”

She’s not sure if the sound she hears is a laugh or a moan.

His knees, she notices, are trembling as she pushes them apart. She situates herself between them, then glances up at him again, checking his face. His cheeks are flushed and his hair is a wreck, but his eyes are fixed on her.

She doesn’t wait long. A few moments worth of teasing – dragging her fingers along his thighs, kissing below his navel – and she gets to work. He’s big, but not unbearably so, and he tastes like clean water and salt. The sound he makes when she takes him in her mouth is far less ambiguous than the one before: definitely a moan.

She focuses on the head, first, licking a sensitive bit on the underside before moving to the slit. His hand creeps forward until it’s tangled in her hair; her hands drift, too, until they’re both resting on his thighs. He’s doing his best not to fuck her mouth, and she appreciates that – it’s been too long since she’s done this for that to happen already.

She takes him a little deeper and hears him sigh. He’s dripping into her mouth; his abdomen is shaking. Rey bobs her head and pulls off of him, for a moment, making sure her lips ‘pop’ as she does. He whines, and his hand tightens on her hair.

She moves a hand to the base of his cock and thumbs the underside, moving back slowly, just taking the head. He throws his head back, mouth hanging open, and she licks whatever she can find, moving her tongue in slow circles.

He does give her warning before he comes; a tug on her hair, a wretched “Rey,” and then –

She swallows it all. He’s still leaning on the sink when she stands and wipes him from her mouth, a sight to behold: pale skin almost glowing in the light, and wrecked, utterly wrecked. It’s enough to make her feel proud.

“Move,” she says, nudging him aside. “I need to wash out my mouth.”

That seems to get his attention. He opens his eyes and stares at her, dark circles almost threatening in their intensity. Then, moving slowly, he pulls her to him and kisses her, his tongue dancing through her mouth.

“Okay,” he whispers, pulling away. “You do that. I’ll wait for you in the bedroom.”

Rey watches him go, all lean lines and darkness and, oh, it’s a wonder they didn’t do this sooner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *set off party poppers* Come find me on [Tumblr](http://coppernailpolish.tumblr.com/)! I have some things in the works and post a load of Star Wars pictures. Did you see the production announcement? I saw it. 
> 
> Story-related notes:  
> 1) I don't know how BB knows everything. They just do. Because they're talented.  
> 2) Cinderella is a fun movie, though the analogy here is a stretch. I like it, though. It's ~~romantic~~  
> 3) Use condoms. These two fools didn't because ~the magic of fanfiction~, but irl, use condoms. Not that I don't think you don't, but...anyway...  
> 4) That first paragraph took forever to edit because apparently I'm just never happy.  
> 5) These notes have lots of tildes. Tildes~~~~~~~
> 
> I'm gonna go to sleep now. You're all the best. XOXO


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the afterglow isn't so warm and fuzzy, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at all of you! I'm so happy you're here! Your comments are phenomenal; they crack me up. I read them when I need motivation to make it through the editing process, so you're doing a good work, the lot of you. <3

The next morning is a stretched out affair. Rey wakes to the sound of Darth pawing at the door and finds Ben already awake, his fingers running through her hair. They stay in bed for a while longer, bodies pressed against one another as they wake. Ben has his hand under her chin and is pulling her in for a kiss when Darth starts to whine. They freeze. Rey giggles.

They hold out a little longer, but Rey’s dog-induced guilt gets the best of her. She reluctantly crawls from the bed, with Ben following behind. He stays within arm's reach of her as they dress, his touches are casual but near constant. Rey leans into his warmth and smiles at him, willing Darth to go back to sleep. The whining only gets louder.

She gets to Ben’s shirt a moment before he does and tugs it over her head. It hits her mid-thigh and smells like soap and sweat and _him_ , and Rey decides that she's never taking it off. She turns around to tell him so, only to see him hiding a smile. Rey stands on her toes and presses a kiss to his cheek, letting his hands settle on her waist. They stand there, swaying, until Darth gets sick of waiting and starts to bark in earnest.

They break, reluctantly, and go to open the door. Darth rushes into the bedroom, relieved to see that his two favorite humans are still alive.  

They feed the delighted dog before rummaging through Ben’s refrigerator for something that looks like breakfast. There’s no rush in it, despite their rumbling stomachs: Rey has the day off and Astrobase goes blissfully silent on weekends. Ben manages to find some eggs and is working them together in a frying pan when Rey slips away. She sends a text to BB, letting them know that she’s okay and asking if they could please come pick her up before Ben burns the complex down? Something’s burning in the kitchen; she returns and finds that he’s overcooked the eggs while trying to make coffee. He looks so confused that all she can do is laugh.

Their goodbye is lingering, full of gentle kisses and promises to text. Rey walks out of Ben’s apartment feeling like she’s living a daydream. His shirt is tucked away in the bottom of her purse.

BB is waiting for her with a smug look on their face. It’s the look that holds her apology at bay as she climbs into the car. She holds her ground until the apartment complex has disappeared from view, then allows herself to give.

“You’re more than a car ride to me. You know that, right?”

She sees BB’s face relax into a smile, and the fist around her heart loosens a little. “I know, Rey. That’s not something you have to worry about me thinking, especially not in situations like this.”

“I know that.” Rey sighs, running a hand through her hair. “But –”

“No, wait, let me keep going.” The smirk on BB’s face is…confusing. “Just – think things over, okay? I sent you up to Ben’s apartment alone. I left you there. What do you think that means?”

Realization creeps up her spine. “You – you did that on purpose?”

BB nods. “I wouldn’t have gone if I didn’t think something was going to happen. I wouldn’t have encouraged you to go if I didn’t want something to happen. You don’t have to apologize to me. In a way, you’ve really done me a favor.”

Rey blinks, mouth hanging open. “What?”

“You have.” BB insists. “Now the both of you can stop pining and be happy, and maybe – just maybe – that happiness can bleed over to life at Astrobase.” They smile and wink. “Makes my life easier, don’t you think?”

Rey takes another moment to compose herself, things clicking into place. Then she smacks BB across the arm.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“For manipulating me!” She laughs. “You sneaky little shit!”

“Hey, hey, it worked out well for you, didn’t it?” BB laughs, as well. “I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think something good would come of it. I was looking out for you!”

“You were scheming, you – you little schemer!”

They play-argue for the rest of the ride home, until BB is nearly in tears from laughter. The guilt in Rey’s stomach has all but disappeared, buoyed by BB’s meddling and her own amusement. She allows herself a sigh of relief before launching back into her barrage against BB’s intentions.

They’re still giggling when they arrive at her apartment. Rey waves goodbye before running inside, eager to escape from the cold.

There’s a note waiting for her on the kitchen table. Rey sets down her things and picks it up, struggling to read as the handwriting grows sloppier.

_Dearest Rey,_

_BB says you’re spending the night at your new boyfriend’s place and won’t be coming home to us, which, not cool, girl, what the hell. Why didn’t you tell us about this guy in the first place? Don’t you trust us? We’re nice, we won’t hurt him. (Much.)_

_Anyway, hope you had fun. You owe us for ditching us, you great twit._

_Love,_

_Finn and Poe_

_P.S. We’re dating now. Don’t go into Poe’s room._

There’s a second note under the first, its handwriting much clearer.

_Text me when you get home. We should talk. –Finn_

Rey tucks the notes in her pocket before finding her phone. She sends a text to Poe, letting him know that she’s home, and a question mark to Finn, before heading off to the bathroom. It’ll be nice to take a shower that won’t get interrupted (not that the interrupted ones weren’t nice, but she kind of wants to be clean.)

She wanders out sometime later, wrapped in the fluffiest towel that they own, to find a response from Finn. _Can you do lunch today? I know a place._

_I can do lunch._ She sends back. _But you’re on the clock until 2, aren’t you?_

_It’s your brother and Maz._ Finn says, a moment later. _Do you really think either one of them is going to tell me no?_

If it was anyone else, Rey would say ‘yes’. But Maz and Poe will have their own reasons for letting Finn go home early: curiosity is a strong motivator, and Rey had spent the night out without telling anyone where she’d gone and then comes home with a new  – what is he, exactly? Her boyfriend? Are they dating now? She’s not sure. They really should have discussed that before she left.

In any case, her friends are going to want details.

She tells Finn that she’ll meet him at the shop, but he asks her to wait at home, instead, saying that Poe will let him drive the Falcon to get her. Rey sends back a shocked emoji alongside a wink. Finn’s response is just a blush.

She kills time before their lunch cleaning the apartment, ridding it of the bottles and wrappers her friends left about the night before. She does peak into Poe’s room, but quickly slams the door. There are some things she does _not_ need to know about her brother, thank you kindly.

She’s lounging on the couch when there’s a knock on her door. Finn grins at her from the other side when she opens it, his hands shoved into his pockets.

“Ready to go?”

“As I’ll ever be.” She smiles, and they descend the steps together.

They drive for what could be an hour, or what could be a matter of minutes. The familiar city streets fade away, until they’re in a part of the city Rey doesn’t recognize, a part cobbled together by wood and steel and old stone. Finn keeps driving, but his hands tense on the wheel.

“Where are we?” Rey asks, at last. “You said we were doing lunch.”

There’s a building coming up in the distance, its red brick standing out against the grey-blue sky. Rey watches as it gets closer and sees children playing in the snow, climbing over a playset and building snowmen in a field.

Finn pulls the car into the roundabout driveway and parks it. The Falcon shudders, and then falls silent.

“This was my elementary school.” Finn says, after a moment. He chuckles, but it’s a sad thing. “I thought Poe would be the one I brought here first.”

“Then why did you bring me?” Rey asks, frowning.

Finn hesitates. She’s seen him like this before, this quieter, harder Finn, and she never knows what to make of him. Rey reaches out and places a hand on his arm. Finn looks at her, then covers it with his own.

“When I was younger,” he begins. “I spent as much time as I could in school. I was a right little nerd, let me tell you. After school clubs, early morning programs: if it was going on, I was there. One day, there’s this new program starting, a sort of young kids karate thing. This isn’t exactly up my alley, but I am who I am, so I go.” Finn’s eyes go misty. “It’s run by this woman named Ms. Organa, though none of us ever called her that. She liked it better when we called her Leia.”

“She had help from her husband, a guy named Han Solo.” He continues. “They taught us all these little tricks: stances to keep us from falling over, breathing exercises, that sort of stuff. We didn’t ever get around to any fancy kicks. Let me tell you, I was disappointed.” He laughs. “But I met this kid there. He was Han and Leia’s son, and he helped teach whenever the middle school let out early. We got along really well, for a while. He was a good guy.” His hand tightens on Rey’s.

“It sounds lovely.” Rey say, after a moment. “But I don’t really understand what you’re saying.”

Finn sighs. He looks out across the playground before speaking again. “BB told me about your boyfriend.” He says. “Said he’s going by Ben when he’s with you. That’s the name I knew him by, too, before he changed it. I thought I recognized him when he came into the shop, but I wasn’t sure until BB told me.”

Rey goes still. “He’s never told me his last name.” She murmurs.

“Yeah, there’s probably a reason for that.” Finn grumbles. “Look, I know you like the guy, and that he makes you happy, but you should know the truth about him before you get serious with him. I know a bit of the truth.”

The truth. It makes Rey want to laugh. Of course she doesn’t know the truth; why would she? “Tell me.” She demands through gritted teeth.

Finn looks startled by her anger, but he nods. “Okay. So the karate club doesn’t last too long. Leia takes off to start a non-profit, and Han Solo kind of disappears. Ben and I keep in touch, but it’s weird for a middle schooler to hang out with an elementary school kid, so eventually we stop. I don’t hear anything about him or his family for years.” He takes a deep breath. “Then Han Solo’s name shows up in the paper. An Astrobase tanker crushed his car after leaving the shop, and he died.”

Rey tightens her grip on his arm.

“I went to the funeral.” Finn continues. “Saw Leia there, and Ben. He hadn’t changed much; still had ears too big for his head.” He chuckles. “But imagine, seeing that and then finding out, a year later, that Kylo Ren – formerly known as Ben Solo – has been hired on at Astrobase as personal assistant to the CEO.”

The air leaves Rey’s lungs. Finn laughs, but it’s a broken thing. “He joined the same company that killed his father.” He says. “What kind of person does that?”

Rey’s hand falls from his arm and flops in her lap. Her heart’s a mess, trying to reconcile Ben – awkward, semi-sweet Ben – with the villain she knows as Kylo Ren.

She’d heard the stories before: Astrobase employees, new and old, say he was too young, too reckless, too ambitious for his own good. The few newspaper articles she’d read wrote him off as a relation hire, getting in on connections instead of skill. They dragged his name through the mud as he rose through the ranks, citing his temper as the source of his eventual downfall. By all accounts, most of the Astrobase employees seemed to agree.

“Rey?” Finn’s voice breaks through her shock. “Rey, you still with me?”

“Yeah, I am.” She hears herself say. “I’m just – I mean – I don’t know how I didn’t know.”

Finn huffs and places a hand on her shoulder. “With BB calling him Ben all the time, it’s not a big surprise. They say he’s changed, and they may be right, but if you didn’t know –” He trails off. 

Rey swallows hard and resists the urge to put her head between her legs. This it too much to take in; the beast tearing at her heart bears the teeth of betrayal. “Can you take me home now? Please?”

Finn hesitates, then takes his hand from her shoulder. The Falcon’s engine comes to life.

“It’s okay if you date him, Rey.” He says, hand still on her shoulder. “Just be aware. He’s not all that he says he is.”

Rey doesn’t reply. She stares out the window as the school fades away. For a moment, she imagines a young Finn standing next to a young, scraggly boy on the playground, both of them laughing in the winter light.

The Falcon fills with heavy silence.

***

The rest of the weekend goes like this:

Rey gets two texts from Ben – Kylo Saturday afternoon, and two more Saturday night. She considers replying, but puts her phone on silent instead.

She throws herself into work on Sunday, staying from open to close and trying not to look at her phone. Kylo texts her again, and again; she doesn’t delete the messages, but she doesn’t answer them, either. Eventually BB texts her. She decides to ignore them, too.

Finn and Poe spend their time alternating between snuggling in the back and fussing over her. Finn’s fussing is more apologetic than anything; he catches her staring at her phone mid-shift and opens his mouth to speak, but seems to change his mind. Poe, on the other hand, hovers like a hawk, digging for bits of information that Rey is unwilling to drop.

She finds him as his shift is coming to an end with his head tucked next to Finn, both men deep in conversation. They separate when they see her, both failing to look innocent. Rey rolls her eyes and kicks them out of the shop.

It’s the most normal moment she has all weekend.

Monday comes, and she makes Maz stand in the front. The older woman seems shocked and almost offended, but she looks deep into Rey’s face and seems to understand the need. She stays there until Poe arrives and doesn’t complain once. Rey bakes three dozen cookies and doesn’t eat a single one. Maz understands this as the apology that it is.

She goes into hiding when BB comes in for their order. Poe comes looking for her, but she barricades herself in the bathroom and tells him to go away.

“What’s wrong with you?” He asks, after BB’s left. “Has BB done something?”

“They haven’t done anything, Poe.” She insists, though she knows he sees through the lie. “I just – I don’t want to see anyone from Astrobase right now.”

Poe looks confused, but allows her the excuse. It’s only after he’s gone back to the front that Rey realizes: Finn hasn’t told him the truth about her not-exactly boyfriend.

There are five more texts from him on her phone now, all of them unanswered. She can’t resist reading them, despite her desire not to. They’re getting more concerned the longer she holds out.

She considers changing his name in her contacts, or deleting his number altogether. So far, she’s managed neither.

A sixth pops up some thirty minutes after BB’s left.

_Don’t hide from me, Rey. It won’t work. I will find you_.

She’s one part incensed and another part aroused. Stupid, overconfident man. That one nearly gets an answer.

***

There’s a tension hovering over Astrobase on Monday that hasn’t been there in weeks. It thickens the air until everyone’s breaths are tentative, and the office seems to be occupied by statues instead of people.

 A dark figure appears from around a corner, head held high and mouth curved into a scowl. Heads duck, desperate to look away.

Kylo Ren stalks across the floor, tense with anxiety. Only Bingley dares to meet his gaze as he passes by, and even then, it’s only for a moment. Kylo does not acknowledge them. He walks until he reaches his office, then flings the door open. It smashes against the outside wall. Kylo closes it with the same amount of force; the resounding slam is deeply satisfying.  

He has an unplanned meeting with Snoke today, as dictated to him by an email sitting at the top of his inbox. The tone of the message is cheerier than usual, which should make him relax, but only serves to make things worse.

Kylo scans over his messages, keeping his eyes locked on the screen. His phone sits in his left pocket, volume all the way up, just in case. It has been silent for two days.

It’s not important, though. He has other things to focus on.

It’s not important.

He sends an email back to Snoke, then starts into his work in earnest. It comes as a surprise when Bingley knocks on his door. Kylo looks up when his PA comes in and realizes that three hours have passed.

“Good morning, sir.” Bingley says, uncharacteristically meek. “Would you like me to go get coffee for you?”

A part of him wants to refuse (because two can play at this game), but his hands are already twitching. Maybe if Bingley can talk to her, then he can, too.

“Sure. Same as usual. None for Phasma.” Each sentence cuts off with a snap; he sees Bingley wince every time.

“Yes, sir.” They leave his office without another word. It makes Kylo feel empty, though he can’t fathom the reason why.

It doesn’t get any better after they return. The to-go cup Bingley brings him is signed by an unfamiliar hand, the letters too tight to be Rey’s. Kylo’s look of confusion makes his PA linger in the doorway, some of the fear disappearing from their face.

“She wasn’t there.” They say. “Or if she was, I didn’t see her.”

Kylo looks up, mouth open to speak, but Bingley’s already gone. His fingers curl around the cup, squeezing until it starts to crack. He drinks the americano as quickly as he can, then throws the broken thing away in disgust.

His meeting with Snoke is in fifteen minutes. Kylo stands, stretching and cracking his neck. Then, with smooth efficiency, he pulls his phone from his pocket.

_Don’t hide from me, Rey. It won’t work. I will find you._

He sends it before he can change his mind and places his phone back in his pocket, volume off. Then he straightens his suit jacket and starts for the elevator.

Ree greets him with her usual detached annoyance when he arrives. Kylo nods back at her, walking past her desk without stopping. The top floor is still dark; he wonders when the last time the upper floor saw sunlight, and if the blinds on the windows are bolted to their sills. The shadows seem to dance around his feet and laugh in his ears. He shakes them away before he knocks on Snoke’s door.

“Come in.”

Snoke isn’t behind his desk, which strikes Kylo as odd. Instead, he’s wheeled himself over to the window and is peaking through the blinds. The distilled winter sunlight makes his skin look like paper.

“Ah, Kylo.” Snoke says, letting the blinds flutter shut. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“My apologies for keeping you.” Kylo says, bowing his head.

“No matter. Come, let me see you.”

Kylo takes a hesitant step towards the window, eyes straining in the dark. Something is off about Snoke today; he can sense it more than see it. There’s an air about the man that’s almost – weak? No, that can’t be right.

“There you are.” Snoke smiles, revealing a row of shark-like teeth. “You’ve made me rather proud these last few weeks, Kylo Ren. Your numbers report and efforts to redeem yourself have been most impressive.”

Kylo lowers his gaze and murmurs his thanks, all while wracking his brain trying to think of something positive he’s done. In truth, he can’t find much (and those things that he does are _not_ related to Astrobase. He shoves his hurt feelings aside and tries to focus.)

“How many days are left until our Christmas party, my boy?”

The endearment makes him flinch, but Kylo dutifully replies. “Fifteen, sir.”

“Fifteen.” The look on Snoke’s face could almost be called wistful. “Fifteen more days until I retire. Which means that I have fifteen more days to decide who will replace me. You and Hux are both qualified, I believe, and you’ve both impressed me over the past few months. It shall not be an easy decision to make.”

Kylo’s eyes widen. “You mean – you’re still considering me?”

“Of course I am, my boy.” Snoke’s laugh sounds more like a wheeze. “You’re my protégé. It would take more than a month of bad numbers to write you off completely.”

He breaks into a series of coughs that brings Ree running, a glass of water in her hands. Snoke sends her away and takes a long drink, his hands overlapping as he tilts it back.

“You’re dismissed for today, Kylo.” He says, once he can speak again. “We shall be seeing each other again soon.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ree is still hovering when he leaves the office. Kylo starts at the look of genuine concern on her face and casts his gaze to the ground, not looking up until he reaches the elevator. When the doors close, he leans back against the wall, his chest heaving like he’s run a marathon.

He checks his phone. There are no new messages.

Hux is waiting for him when he makes it back to his office. The red-head looks flushed, like he’s run here from his own department.

“What did Snoke want from you?” He demands, following Kylo into his office. “What did he say?”

There’s a headache forming at the top of his head that’s making him want to cry. Kylo makes Hux wait for his answer, sitting at his desk and straightening his papers before looking the man in the eye.

“Same thing he told you, I suppose. That I’m not out of the running for CEO after all.”

The sneer on Hux’s face makes him look ten years older and a hell of a lot uglier. Kylo considers telling him this, but decides against it. Instead he leans back in his chair and pretends his head isn’t killing him.

“You’re not ready to be CEO.” Hux sniffs. “No matter what Snoke is telling you. He won’t give you the position; he just wants to clear his name so you blame _me_ instead of him when you don’t get the position.”

Kylo’s hands form fists at his side. Hux notices and smirks.

“What? You’ve known from day one that you’re only here because Snoke wanted you here. You’re his little pet, aren’t you? Little Kylo Ren, always following Snoke around, like a dog begging for a treat. It’s pathetic.”

Kylo’s on his feet in a moment. His hands are shaking. Hux doesn’t move as he stalks closer, some madness hanging around the corners of his smile.

“You’ll never amount to anything more than this.” He says, triumphant. “Because you’re nothing more than a flea, hanging on to someone else’s coattails.”

Between one moment and the next, Kylo’s fist goes flying. Hux’s head snaps back with the force of it; he stumbles back, clutching his nose. Kylo’s hand aches. He feels ready to explode.

He listens to Hux howl, cursing his name, and packs up his things. Then, as calmly as he can, he walks out of the office.

“That’s right, you better run!” He hears Hux shout after him. The rest of the office has gone deathly quiet.

Kylo hesitates once, in passing Bingley’s desk. The PA is looking at him with open admiration, their mouth twitching up into a smile.

“You may lose your job because of this.” Kylo says, almost conversational. “If you do, get in touch with me. I’ll see what I can do to help you out.”

“Yes, sir.” Bingley says, full out grinning. “Thank you, sir.”

With that, Kylo Ren walks out of Astrobase Industries.

He’s walking down the front steps when he reaches for his phone. His empty message box gives him pause, but he moves on, searching through his contacts until a familiar name pops up. He puts the phone to his ear and listens to the dial tone ring.

“Hello, this is Ben Solo. May I speak to Leia Organa, please?” 

 Their conversation is brief. His mother’s voice quivers on the other end as they speak, but it does not break. They set a time and place for dinner, then wish each other well. Ben hangs up the phone and lets out a shaky breath, some of his headache abating.

His walk home is silent, but full of fluttering hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XOXO


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are brief philosophical discussions, a confession, and an eye-opening phone call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's only one chapter left after this, holy crap. Look how far we've come, folks. We've come so far~! I'm so happy that all of you have stayed with me. Your comments are my delight, and I love that we can enjoy this nonsense together. Big hugs and happy thoughts to all of you. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Rey spends the rest of the afternoon like this:

She hovers just beyond the threshold of Jakku Java’s kitchen, her eyes wide as she watches for a mop of dark hair. Poe sends her worried glances every time she appears. They get more and more concerned, until Rey threatens to send him home just to get him to stop.

All the while, she refuses to look at her phone. She knows that if she does, she'll break, and she's not ready to surrender yet.

Poe stays in the shop even after he’s clocked out, commandeering one of the tables and playing with his phone. Rey does her best to ignore him and keeps her gaze on the shop’s front door.

Ben never appears.

Rey’s still ignoring her brother when six rolls around, her jaw aching from gritting her teeth. He’s staring at her, she knows he is, as she wipes down the counter, though he's pretending not to. She makes it all of five minutes before she looks up, catches him, and cracks.

“If you’re going to be here, you can at least help me clean up.”

There’s a flicker of amusement on her brother’s face, but it’s gone a moment later. He leaves his table and moves to her side. They stack chairs together in silence until the air grows thick around them.

Poe’s the one to speak first.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“There’s nothing going on.” Rey winces at the sound of her own voice: too quick, too nervous. “Everything’s fine.”

“You’re a liar, little sister.” Poe smirks. “Now tell me what’s kept you away from our patrons today. Has something happened? Is it your boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Rey snaps. Poe lifts an eyebrow at her outburst, and she realizes that she’s given herself away. “So it’s kind of about that.”

Poe sets the chair he’s holding back onto the floor and straddles it, glaring up at her until she does the same.

“Talk.”

“It’s – it doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

“I’m smart; I can figure it out.” Poe reaches out and takes her hand in his, squeezing it with gentle strength. "Tell me. Please.”

Rey sighs and squeezes his hand back. Then, she begins.

Poe listens with more patience than she would normally give him credit for. His face drops when she mentions Finn, but smooths out at once. Rey considers backtracking, but her lips keep moving forward.

This is her brother. She can tell him anything.

Her story peeters off, after a while, but their hands remain locked together.

“So, if I’m understanding this right,” Poe says, at last. “You are happy with this guy, but upset that he’s lied to you. You only know he’s lied to you because of something Finn’s said?”

“Well, that and the newspaper articles that confirm Finn’s story.” Rey nods. Their hands swing across the little gap between them, but she can’t tell if the movement is intentional or not.

Poe sighs and rubs his forehead. Rey’s surprised, then, to see him smile. “I think this is something to be worried about, yes.” He says. “But I don’t think this is something to end a budding relationship over.”

Rey tilts her head, confused.

“If BB says that your Ben has changed, then I am inclined to trust them.” Poe shrugs. “Everyone changes. No one is who they were seven years ago; no one is who they were seven minutes ago. If we were to base all of our relationships on who people used to be in the past, then we would be lost. You would not have this café. I would not have Finn.” He smiles and gives her hand another squeeze. “Moving on isn’t going to hurt anyone.”

Rey lets his words sink in, her lips pressed together. She focuses on their hands, still hanging between them.

“He still lied to me.” She says, after a beat. “And I’m not happy about that.”

“So tell him.” Poe says. “Don’t go on ignoring him. I can tell you: that will only make things worse.”

Rey tries to glare at her brother, but she feels her affection bleeding through. He can see it, too, because the smile he gives her is blinding. Their hands drop from between them.

“Come on.” Rey says, picking up her chair. “I want to go home.”

Poe’s still smiling as he puts his chair away. They finish closing up the shop before the sun sets and make their way out the Falcon, their shoulders pressed close together. The ride home is quiet, but peacefully so.

Rey leans her head against the window and thinks that maybe if Poe didn’t seem so smug, she’d be more inclined to listen to him. It’s a thought steeped in humor, though, because her fingers are already itching for her phone. She doesn’t enjoy being angry; doesn’t enjoy this hiding.

Ben’s got something of hers wrapped up in those too-large hands of his. She’s either going to have to get used to its absence or do what she can to get it back.

Poe is parking the car when she finally pulls out her phone.

_Hey._

It’s all she can manage. She shoves the phone back in her pocket and leaps from the Falcon, ignoring Poe’s laughter as she takes the stairs two at a time.

***

Ben spends the rest of the afternoon like this:

He tears through his closet, desperate to find something appropriate to wear to a semi-classy restaurant that he’s not been to for five years. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but he’s not trying to intimidate anyone, so everything comes off as too harsh. Darth sits at his heels, looking confused, but he plays in the piles of clothes Ben leaves behind.

When he finally decides (it’s white and blue and about as non-confrontational as he can get), he takes Darth on a walk. The cold nips at him, but he doesn’t mind; it clears his head. They stop at a convenient store, where he buys Darth a rawhide and himself a bag of chocolate. He rips it open before they get home and starts working his way through it.

He doesn’t look at his phone.

The bag of chocolate is gone by the time dinner rolls around. He tugs on his coat with shaking hands, trying to avoid Darth as the dog dances around his feet. Ben brushes dog hair from his dark pants and sighs.

“You’re a useless thing, you know that?”

Darth bares his teeth in what could only be called a smile. Ben rolls his eyes and goes to check his phone.

There’s a message from his mother, reminding him of the address, but otherwise, there’s nothing. He pretends it doesn’t sting. Instead he types the address into an app and studies the directions. He has thirty minutes to get there and secure a table, which means he should probably start walking –

The phone buzzes. Ben’s so surprised that he nearly drops it. A familiar (hard-sought, eagerly awaited, _brilliant_ ) name pops up, with a heartbreakingly short message underneath.

He doesn’t think his hands can shake any harder. He goes to answer, then changes his mind. The phone disappears into his coat pocket. Ben leans against the nearest wall and takes a ragged breath, collecting himself before heading out into the night.

One thing at a time, he figures. There’s only so much emotional turmoil a man can take in a day.

All the same, the phone burns in his pocket.

*

The restaurant’s about middling full by the time he arrives. Ben finds himself alone in a booth near the back corner, watching the front door with wary eyes. His shoulders ache with tension; a part of him wonders if he could run out now without causing a scene, because this was clearly a terrible idea.

He hasn’t seen her face to face in – he doesn’t know how long. He’s not even sure if he remembers what she looks like (except that’s a lie. She may be greyer, now, and a little more worn down, but she had eyes that could cut through souls. He doubts that she’s lost those, and they’ll give her away, no matter what she looks like.)

His breath catches when she appears at the door. She and the maître de talk softly to one another before she’s guided to his table. He sees her freeze at the sight of him, but only for a moment. He resists the urge to smile; she’s always been better at hiding her feelings than him.

She slides into the booth and, for a moment, just stares. Then, with a voice so tentative it breaks his heart, she speaks.

“Ben?”

It takes all of his considerable will power not to break down crying. Instead, he reaches a hand out across the table, palm up and inviting. His mother hesitates, then places her hand in his.

“Hello, mom.”

There’s something twinkling in her eyes that looks like tears. “It’s been too long.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

Her fingers interlace with his and squeeze. He’s surprised at how strong her grip is, even after all this time.

They sit in that booth for what feels like hours. Ben steals glances at her over his soup and catches her stealing glances at him, too, like she expects him to disappear. They talk about meaningless things, at first: how the house is, how his uncle is, how Darth is doing. He shows her the picture that he’d sent Rey and feels his heart shudder when she coos.

He almost mentions her, but decides to wait.

It’s over the empty plates of their entrees that she asks about his work. Ben hesitates, then fixes his gaze on the table.

“Well – I was in the running to become CEO.”

His mother does a wonderful job of keeping her face impassive. “‘Was’?”

Ben chuckles. “I may have – well, no, I did – I punched my competition in the face.”

He glances up and starts at the look on his mother’s face. She looks unsurprised, of course, but he swears he sees a sliver of pride.

“And why did you do that?”

“He’s an exceptionally rude man.” Ben says, tracing the lines of the table with his eyes. “And – I may have had a change in priorities.”

He looks up when he speaks again and sees that his mother is holding her breath. “I don’t think I’m going to work for Astrobase anymore.”

There is no stopping the tears he sees running down her cheeks, so he makes no effort. Instead he fishes out a packet of tissues from his coat jacket and hands one to her. Leia Organa dabs her eyes and tries to compose herself, but fails. Instead she slips over to his side of the table and, after only a moment’s hesitation, wraps her arms around her son.

Ben stays stock still for only a moment before wrapping his arms around her, in turn. Their waiter passes by the table and looks horribly concerned; Ben does what he can to indicate that things are okay. The waiter only shrugs, then disappears.

They leave the restaurant a short time later, walking arm and arm down the street. Ben gives his mother his coat to shield her from the cold after she ignores his urges for them to go to the car; she seems unwilling to let him go off on his own. For once, he doesn’t blame her. So they walk against the December wind, sometimes talking, sometimes not.

After several minutes, he convinces himself to mention Rey. His mother’s ears perk up at once, and her face becomes awash with mischief.

“A girl?”

“A young woman.” He corrects, feeling himself slip into something terribly awkward. “She owns a coffee shop in town. She’s –” He falls silent, his tongue heavy with the words he should say, but can’t.

Leia seems to understand. The arm tucked against his gives him a squeeze. “How did the two of you meet?”

Ben thinks back and tries not to cringe. That’s not really a conversation he wants to have, but this is his mother, so they have it anyway. She rolls her eyes when he tells her and makes to swat at his head, too short to reach but tall enough to get her point across.

By the time they reach his apartment, he’s told her everything.

Leia invites herself in and spends a number of minutes lavishing Darth with affection (Ben is reminded keenly of Rey, and of the message waiting on his phone.) Leia looks up and sees her son’s face, caught between amusement and worry.

“What’s wrong?”

“I should talk to her.” He says, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck. “We’ve been – not arguing, but something like that.”

Leia nods, her mouth thinning. “Go on. Darth will keep me company.” She hesitates, then stands and wraps her arms around her son. “It’s so good to have you back, son.”

Ben, still unused to the affection, feels something in his chest jolt, hard. He doesn’t say anything, just buries his face in his mother’s hair.

***

Rey spends the night glancing between her computer and her phone. Poe spends it hovering, and orders a pizza to make sure she eats. Rey takes three slices before shooing him away, too busy scanning an article about marketing strategies to deal with him. He musses her hair before he goes, wandering into his bedroom to text Finn or other such man things. Rey shakes her head and tries not to think about it.

She glances at her phone. There are still no messages. She wonders, idly, if this is how Ben felt, waiting two days for her to text him back.

She’s made a decision, in these quiet hours. He’s never been Kylo Ren to her, so he shall remain Ben. If they ever get around to having a conversation, she’s going to tell him that herself. However, that’s looking like a big ‘if’.

It’s going on ten when her phone finally buzzes.

_Hey_.

There’s a thrum of rage that pulses through her, marring her delight. He leaves her hanging for hours and all he has to say is _hey_?

(Then again, she had only said _hello_.)

Rey takes a deep breath before replying, trying to steady herself.

_Hi_.

She sets the phone face down and goes back to her article. Words are blurring together at this point, but she’s determined. They can’t have another November; their guardian angel isn’t going to make consistent appearances, and she needs to be able to run this business without help.

_Had dinner with my mother_.

That comes as a surprise. Rey frowns at the message. Ben’s never mentioned his mother before, and according to Finn, they couldn’t be close. Rey sends back a question mark, but nothing more.

_It’s been a few years since we talked._

It’s her moment to play dumb. _You never said_.

_I know. I would’ve replied sooner, but she deserved my full attention._

Her heart aches for him; it would even if she didn’t know his story. She does her best to compose herself, to remain as unaware as she is able. _That was kind of you_.

The article she’s reading is saying something about content and its value in comparison to the customer’s ability to use it. Rey isn’t sure how this applies to running a coffee shop, but she’s certain that it means something useful. It is, at least, a distraction.

_Why weren’t you talking to me?_

She admires his direct approach as much as she resents it. Rey tries to focus on the article, but there’s a heaviness in her heart that she can’t quite ignore. _It’s a long story, and not one I want to discuss over text. Are you free tomorrow?_

_I don’t know. But I can make time. Are you working?_

There’s a word for him, she thinks, one that captures Kylo Ren and Ben Solo both. It’s on the tip of her tongue and she knows it, truly, but it’s not ready to slip out. _When am I not working?_

_When you decide you don’t want to talk to me._

That’s fair. But - _I was working that day._

_Had circumstances not been what they were for me, I would’ve come after you myself._

She considers determined, and while it’s not wrong, it’s not quite right. He’s more passionate than that, sparkling with a tinge of something hot and fast on her tongue –

Reckless. He’s **reckless** _._

_You wouldn’t have been able to find me_.

He makes her feel reckless, like he’s contagious and she’s spent too much time close to him to avoid it catching. It’s thrumming through her right now, the idea of a chase making her skin catch fire.

_You underestimate my drive._

‘Drive’ isn’t the word she’d have used, but she makes no move to correct him. She goes back to her article with a renewed sort of smugness. Her heart flutters against her breastbone, but she tries not to think about it.

_I can find you wherever you hide, Rey. You don’t have to run from me._

She’s not sure how he makes that sound romantic, but he does, and she hates him for it. She glances towards Poe’s door and is relieved to find it closed. Then, as quietly as she can, she picks up her laptop and moves to the bedroom.

_Someone’s confident. What if I don’t want you to catch me?_

She’s pushing it, given their recent not-fight, but she’s feeling playful, feeling **reckless**. She half expects him to chide her, or to ignore her, but finds herself pleasantly surprised.

_Please. A lie must first convince the teller if it has any hope of convincing its recipient._

It’s a bit pretentious, but all the more him. Rey rolls her eyes and flops down on her bed. Light from the hall slips in from underneath the door, but otherwise she’s cradled in the dark.

_How philosophical of you._ A hand drifts down her stomach as she waits for him to reply. She can see the two of them, wild horses on a carousel going round in circles. He’s dark and tall and wide-eyed, mouth bright red and chest heaving with exertion. She’s light and fleet-footed, never far away but just out of his reach. It’s a tease, a dance, their hearts pounding and their fingers aching; at its best, it’s never quite enough.

She’s seized by a moment’s inspiration and hurries to type before he can reply. _I’d like to make you chase me. You could run until your legs ached, but you’d never catch me. Not unless I wanted you to._

The mere thought of it makes her twitch with want. She sets her phone aside and lets her hand drift lower, until it’s teasing the waistband of her sweatpants. It’s a mystery if he understands what this is doing to her, but the small part of her that’s still bitter decides that if he can’t figure it out, then he doesn’t deserve to know.

_Confident little thing, thinking you’d outrun me. Like I said: you underestimate my drive._

A bit vague, that, but headed in the right direction. Rey waits through the moment before responding, her body a temple of warmth and tingling pleasure.

_How much good is your drive doing you right now?_

_Drive is always more disappointing when you’re alone._ That’s less ambiguous. Rey moves her hand between her thighs and bites her lip, replying with the other hand. It takes her a moment to realize that she’s shaking.

_Glad we’re on the same page. I don’t know, though. I’m having a bit of fun_.

She sets the phone aside, at last, and focuses on herself. Ben and his ‘drive’ can wait.

Self-pleasure is something she’s grown familiar with over the years, her hands the only ones she trusted with her body. She tugs down her sweatpants and shivers in the cold, letting one hand trace upward, over the soft skin of her thighs. The other drifts further upward, dancing over her breasts.

She hears her phone vibrate and feels a vindictive stab of pleasure as she ignores it. Instead she cups her breast and squeezes, sighing into the touch.

A moment of inspiration readjusts her strategy. She reaches for her phone and dials Ben’s number before setting the phone by her pillow. Then she returns her attention to herself.

“Hello?”

Rey does not respond with words, but with moans. She traces her hand across the bridge of her underwear and feels herself grow warm.

Ben makes a noise on the other side, something like a curse, but she ignores him. She squeezes her breast again, arching up into the pressure.

“Rey. Rey, what are you doing –”

“Shhh.” She manages, feeling her nipples pebble through her shirt. “Not so loud.”

He moans in response, and it makes her smile. She takes the hand between her thighs and moves it up to her other breast, squeezing them in unison before focusing on her nipples. The sound she makes is almost choked.

Ben’s talking, or she thinks he is, but she’s not certain what he’s saying. She peels her shirt over her head and traces her skin, fingertips dancing over her nipples until she’s desperate for touch. Warmth pools between her thighs, a slow, eager thing.

“You’d like to see this, wouldn’t you?” She says, voice rough with want. Ben moans into the receiver, but does not respond. Rey pinches her nipples harder and gasps, then goes back to ignoring him.

It’s a wicked game they play.

She slips a hand back down between her legs, slipping past her underwear but hovering just above. Her fingers drift through the thatch of curls, palm pressing against her pubic bone as she rocks against it. Then, with a careful touch, she moves to her clit. The resulting noise is loud enough to have her worried that someone’s going to hear.

Ben has no such qualms. He’s saying her name, over and over, like a prayer, begging to know what she’s doing. His voice is soft and shaking; her touch is soft and shaking, too, and it feels, for a moment, like he’s there with her.

“I’d like to have you here.” She admits, as she rubs herself in circles. “Your hands are much bigger than mine. I like them. Much more,” her breath hitches. “to play with.”

 She wonders if he’ll hate her after this, if this is too much, too soon. The rush of pleasure that fills her as she slips a finger inside herself informs her that she really doesn’t care (or that, if she does, she can deal with it later.) She’s wet, dripping with it, and slipping in another finger is easy. The hand on her breast drops down to her clit, and then she’s pulsing, riding herself as her pleasure coils deep in her belly.

It’s the sound of Ben panting, begging, whining, wanting, that sends her over the edge. She clenches around her fingers and her mouth drops open, breath leaving her as though she’s been punched. She rides herself until the aftershocks come, and even then, she takes it slowly, pressing into herself with languid strokes until she can breathe normally again.

“Hope you enjoyed that.” She says, before hanging up the phone.

It may be a wicked game, but it’s one that she finds she enjoys _quite_ a bit. Rey rises from her bed and washes her hands, then curls back into her sheets, feeling for all the world like she’s just won a great victory.

***

Across the city, Ben leans against his bathroom wall, hand on his cock while he curses Rey’s name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to ignore the fact that Leia's still in the living room, just like Leia is ignoring her son's flushed face and his general inability to keep his cool around the girl he likes. XOXO


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things come to their conclusions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me start out this final note with an apology. Real life slammed me in the chest and kept me from my writing, which was terribly disappointing. However, here we are. The chapter is finished. Thank you, over and over again, for sticking with me through this adventure. I've loved writing this story and hearing from all of you. 
> 
> Brief reminder that BB in this story uses 'they/them' pronouns (I mention this because there are a lot of 'they's in this chapter.)
> 
> Thank you so much, folks. It's meant the world to me.

He makes an effort to be quiet, for what it’s worth, and to conceal everything after he’s done. Ben leaves the bathroom fresh faced and more than a little embarrassed. He keeps his head down and ducks into his room, grabbing a pair of sweats to wear through the night.

His mother either didn’t notice or has enough grace not to say anything. He appreciates her discretion, either way. Ben lets her take the bed and sets himself up on the couch.

His long legs force him to either curl up in a ball or let his feet hang over the armrest, but he doesn’t mind. Darth curls up on the floor beside him, head on his paws. He’s still there when Ben wakes up in the morning.

It’s noise in his kitchen that rouses him. Ben’s eyes shoot open, his heart pounding in his chest. It takes him a moment to realize that, no, it’s not Rey, but his mother, instead. He’s slow to rouse himself after that, willfully calming himself down before standing from the couch.

He finds Leia poking through his refrigerator, an already impressive omelet cooking on the stove.   

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” She says, without turning around. She’s always been able to do that, though he’s still not sure how.

“Morning.” He pulls plates down from one of the higher cupboards and sets them beside her. She smiles in thanks and sends him to start brewing tea. He hasn’t had tea in months, but there’s a small box stashed away where no one can see. It smells like cinnamon and vanilla, and always reminds him of home.

“So,” Leia says, once they’re seated at his table. “What are you going to do about Astrobase?”

“What do you mean?” Ben asks through a mouthful of food.

“Well, you haven’t been fired yet.” Leia says, cutting into her own omelet. “It would be best to wait until you _were_ , because then they’d have to pay you until the end of the year. If you really don’t want to go back, though, you’re going to have to quit.”

Ben takes another bite to buy himself some time. He’s thought about this, objectively, through a haze of anger and guilt, but he hasn’t thought about the details. Snoke wouldn’t take his letter of resignation lightly. Even if he did, Ben would have to remain with the company for another two weeks, if not more. It’d make the holidays a nightmare.

He hasn’t even thought about what job he’ll look for, afterward. He hasn’t been job hunting for seven years, and the thought of it makes him squirm.

“I know you’re right.” He says, setting his fork aside. “And I intend to stop working for them by the end of the year. There’s a bit of an issue, though,” He manages a laugh, despite himself. “There aren’t many companies looking to hire someone who punched his way out of a job. Waiting until I was fired would make getting hired somewhere else - difficult, to say the least.”

Leia purses her lips and takes another bite of her eggs. She’s quiet for a while. Ben waits for her to speak, trying to be patient.

Before long, their plates are empty. His mother lingers over her cup of tea, contemplation written into the lines of her face. “I may have a solution for that.” She says, at last.

Ben nearly chokes on his tea.

“I’ve recently lost my financial advisor to retirement.” His mother continues, mouth curving up at the corners. “She kept track of each of our nonprofits, managing bills and product inventory, when we needed her to. It’s possible that you could apply for the position. You wouldn’t get in just because you’re family, though. You’d need to really prove that you wanted the job.”

It’s too perfect. If it had been any other time, Ben would have sworn it had been planned. His heart feels light, lighter than it has ever before.

There is, however, one problem.

“Would I have to move?” He asks. “Your base of operations isn’t exactly close. I’d have to find an apartment -”

“I don’t think distance would be an issue.” Leia interrupts. “A car would suffice. Or, if you were to get the position, we could arrange for you to work from home.”

This is more than he could have hoped for. This is more than he could have ever dreamed. “Where do I find the application?”

His mother looks at him over her cup of tea and smiles.

*

They part, an hour or so later, out again in the cold December air. Ben walks his mother back to her car (which, by some miracle, has not been ticketed) and kisses her on the cheek before bidding her farewell. He has an application waiting for him in his inbox and her promise to take him seriously, so long as he takes her seriously, too. She’s slow to let him go, and even slower to drive away. Ben stays standing on the sidewalk until her car is out of sight. Then he starts for Astrobase.

The elevator ride up to his floor is slow and ties his stomach in knots. Ben refuses to let the feeling rule him, though. He throws his head back when the doors open and walks through the office wearing a smile. If it’s a little tight around the corners, well, he’s the only one who knows.

No one meets his eye. That, at least, is gratifying.

Bingley is waiting for him when he arrives at his door, a sheaf of papers held tight against their chest. “Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning, Bingley.” Ben fiddles with his keys and ignores the way Bingley hovers. They follow him into his office, careful to swing the door shut behind him. Ben makes it to his desk before looking at them. When he does, he sighs. “What’s wrong?”

“Sir?” Bingley asks, shuffling their papers. “Why would something be wrong?”

“You’re nervous.” Ben says. “You stopped being afraid of me ages ago, so it has to be something else. Tell me what it is, or get out of my office.”

To his great relief, he sees Bingley rolls their eyes. “Oh, no, that’s not true, sir. You’re still just as terrifying as always.” The dryness in their voice says otherwise. Ben sees them fight back a smile before they continue. “I’m just – here for moral support, I suppose.”

“And why would I be needing moral support?”

“That’s a long list, sir, and I’m not sure we have the time.”

Despite himself, Ben snorts. His computer is slow to turn on, but it’s creaking to life. He logs in and pulls up his email, still waiting for Bingley to go on.

The email from his mother is still there, though it no longer sits at the top of his inbox. Instead there is a message from Snoke. Ben feels his breath freeze in his chest as he reads the subject line: _Notice of Termination._

Ben looks to Bingley, whose smile has grown sad. “Told you. Moral support.”

They knew this was coming. To be fair, _Ben_ knew this was coming, too. That said, it still stings. He opens up the email and reads it as quickly as he can. The gist of it is clear: Hux has filed a complaint, accusing him of assault. Instead of pressing charges, Snoke has seen fit to dismiss him. He is to pack up his office and leave his keys with Ree, then vacate the premises immediately.

“What about you?” Ben asks, looking back to Bingley.

“Oh, I’m fired, too.” Bingley shrugs. Ben blinks; their nonchalance is startling. “I’m not surprised. Without you, there’s really no need for me, and honestly, I’d rather not be reassigned to anyone else in this damn building.”

The venom in their voice shocks Ben into laughter. Bingley’s smile grows wider.

“I am sorry.” Ben says, after a moment. “I’m not surprised, either, but –”

“It’s fine.” Bingley interrupts. “It really is, Ben.”

Ben opens his mouth to argue, but then decides against it. Instead he closes out his email and looks around the office. There aren’t many personal things to pack away. He’ll likely be out of the building before noon.

“Do you have a backup plan?”

“Excuse me, sir?” Bingley looks surprised by the question.

“Do you have a backup plan?”

“Well, not really.” Ben’s not surprised to hear Bingley chuckle. “I thought I could go apply at Jakku Java, actually. Rey would hire me, right?”

He knows she would. “It’s not a bad idea. I may have an alternative, though.”

He tells Bingley about dinner with his mother and about her nonprofits throughout the city. He doesn’t tell them everything, but the look on Bingley’s face suggests that they already know.

“One of them has to be hiring. If not, I’ll give you my mother’s phone number. Tell her that you know me, and I’m certain she’ll try to do something for you.” The smile Ben feels coming across his face is more kind than cynical – that feeling is still new, but it’s one that he likes. “It’s in her nature to be abhorrently kind.”

There’s a joke on Bingley’s tongue; Ben can hear his ex-PA humming with the urge to speak. Their reason seems to get the better of them. Ben’s almost disappointed.

“Have you packed up your desk?”

“I have, sir.”

“Good. You can help me pack up in here.”

Bingley raises an eyebrow. “Sorry, are we operating as though I’m still your personal assistant?”

Ben shrugs. “Nah. I’m just taking advantage of a friend.”

The smile on Bingley’s face is blinding. They duck out of the office at once, promising to bring back a box as soon as they’re able. The door stays hanging open. Ben finds that he doesn’t mind.

There’s never been a happier jobless man in the entire city.

Packing goes as quickly as he’d expected. He orders Bingley around for most of it, poking fun at them while texting his mother and informing her of the news. He doesn’t expect to hear back as quickly as he does, but receives an apology soon after. Any sympathy is renounced by her inclusion of a smiley face.

 _Don’t you know it’s not safe to text and drive?_ He types. Bingley is debating whether or not they should steal the company stapler; Ben drops it into the cardboard box without looking up from his phone. He doesn’t _need_ to look to know that Bingley is smirking.

 _I’m not driving at the moment, but it’s sweet of you to worry_.

He sends back a question mark, but receives no answer.

It takes them less than an hour to clean out the office. Bingley is snickering over the box they’re carrying; Ben would accuse them of giving away the game, but can’t bring himself to care.

They ride up to the top floor together. Ben says it’s because he doesn’t trust Bingley with his things, but his hands start shaking around the eighth floor. Bingley, despite all their faults, has the grace not to comment. They stay by his side as he steps off the elevator, matching him step for step as he approaches Ree’s desk.

To his complete lack of surprise, he finds Snoke waiting for him, instead. The old man goes to send Bingley away, but doesn’t have a name to address the ex-PA with. Bingley levels him with a glare that could make Kylo Ren proud, anyway – they’re not the man’s employee anymore. Ben fills with pride of his own before directing Snoke’s attention away from his friend.

“I’ve come to turn in my keys.”

“I know what you’ve come to do, boy.” Snoke snaps. The spokes on his wheelchair creak as he rolls himself forward. He tries to come between Ben and Bingley, but finds them both unwilling to move. He’s shorter when he’s closer up, Ben notices. The top of Snoke’s head barely reaches his waist.

Ben fishes into his jacket for his keys and holds them out for Snoke to take. The old man hesitates, then looks up into Ben’s face.

“Kylo,” He says, and the name stings. “There is a way for you to redeem yourself from this. Hux will be taking on the position of CEO, and I can’t take you back as an employee after what you did, but there is still a way for us to work together.”

“Sorry, not interested.” Ben waits a moment longer, then drops the keys into Snoke’s waiting lap. He takes a step back and sees Bingley do the same. “Thank you for the past seven years, Mr. Snoke, but I believe our partnership has run its course.”

As he turns, he hears Snoke call his name. The man’s voice is weak from age and smoke, but it does not evoke any remorse. Ben and Bingley step into the elevator together. As the doors close, Ben turns and meets Snoke’s eye for the last time.

“Goodbye, sir.”

The doors close. Ben shuts his eyes and allows himself a moment of guilt; a moment of pity. Then Bingley’s hand is on his shoulder. Ben opens his eye and looks at his friend, who, in turn, is smiling. They don’t say a word as the elevator descends.

The world feels like it’s shaking as they walk out of Astrobase for the last time. Ben turns around and stares up at the building, with its long glass windows and its gilded front doors. Bingley waits for him, a few steps ahead, and follows his gaze.

“Do you think you’ll miss it?” They asks.

Ben hesitates, then replies. “No. No, I don’t think so.”

He falls into step beside Bingley, who chuckles. They walk together until they reach their car. Bingley offers Ben a ride, but he declines.

“A walk will do me some good.”

“Oh, I’m sure.” And just like that, they’re smiling again. “Not headed out to get coffee, are you?”

Ben knows he’s blushing, he can feel the blood pooling in his face. He doesn’t need to answer; Bingley (or maybe it should be BB, now) is already laughing. “Tell everyone ‘hi’ for me, will you?”

“Will do.” Ben steps out of the way as BB starts their engine. They wave before driving away, their orange and white car disappearing down the otherwise empty street. Ben raises his hand in farewell before starting on his way.

Every step he takes away from Astrobase feels like a move in the right direction.

***

Rey comes in on Tuesday morning to find Maz and Finn arguing in the kitchen. Their voices echo through the shop, bouncing off the walls and making the still-present patrons wince or roll their eyes. Rey ducks through the doorway to find them bent over a tray of cookies, two tubes of frosting in their hands.

“What are you two doing?” She asks, hands on her hips.

“Have you gone blind, dear?” Maz asks, her tone light for all her apparent rage. “Your friend here has been ruining my sugar cookies ever since he arrived!”

“I’m not ruining them!” Finn shouts, and then they’re at it again.

Rey rolls her eyes and steps back to the front of the shop. She settles in at the counter and greets the few patrons that have arrived in her absence. Something shatters in the kitchen. She ignores it.

Poe arrives fifteen minutes into the hour, likely called in to be Finn’s backup in the kitchen. He gives Rey a kiss on the cheek before going to assist his boyfriend. Rey brushes him away and sighs. She’ll have to pay attention to the madness eventually, but she just doesn’t want to yet.

It’s a rare day anymore that the four of them aren’t all here together, she notes. She wonders about that, sometimes, if it says something about them. It’s not co-dependency (at least, she hopes it’s not), but she knows it’s not common. She’s chewing over the proper word when there’s a tap on her shoulder. Rey turns and receives a face full of icing for her trouble.

Finn and Poe are grinning at her from the other end of a frosting tube. She spots Maz lingering in the doorway and decides, at once, to fire them all.

She snatches the frosting tube and retaliates.

The majority of the mess keeps to the back of the shop, and for that, she’s grateful. Either way, she greets the next patrons with icing in her hair. The nicer of the few point that out to her; the rest just stare. Rey keeps smiling and swears silent revenge.

She’s wiping a stripe of pink off of her face when the doorbells chime. An older woman walks into the shop and stops at the sight of her, laughter sweeping across her face. Rey sets her napkin aside and tries to look professional.

“Welcome to Jakku Java. What can I get you today?”

The woman takes her time approaching, looking over the shop with a curious eye. “Your name is Rey, is it not?” She asks, once she’s reached the counter.

“It is.” Rey nods. A flash of suspicion runs through her breast. “Have we met before?”

“We have not.” The woman reaches out and takes Rey’s hand to shake. Some speckles of icing pass between them. Rey notices first and rushes to get her a napkin. To her relief, the older woman only laughs.

“I would like a grande chai, if you please.” She says, when Rey returns. “And are you particularly busy at the moment? I’d like to talk with you, if that’s alright.”

Rey glances towards the door, then shrugs. “I’m not busy.”

“Good.” The woman nods. “I’ll find a table and wait for you. Take your time.” She passes Rey a ten dollar bill, then wanders away from the counter.

Rey stares after her, open mouthed.

She wraps up the transaction and starts making the woman her drink, trying to keep her confusion to a minimum. Finn comes when she calls him, blue icing streaked across his cheeks. She has him stand behind the counter while she delivers the woman’s drink. She's settle herself at the table by the window; the one that usually belongs to Ben. Rey takes the seat opposite her and tries to stay composed.

“Here you are.” She says, pressing the drink into the woman’s open hand. “Now, what can I help you with?”

She’s pinned by a piercing gaze. The woman takes a sip of her chai before speaking.

“Tell me about yourself, dear.”

Rey hesitates. She doesn’t know this woman, doesn’t know her game. There’s a sense about her, though; something that feels familiar. It’s this that keeps Rey at the table, and that lets her tell her story.

She tells the woman about Poe, and how they moved to the city after their parents’ deaths. How they worked odd jobs until she had enough money to buy the shop. How they’d met Maz and how she loved them; how they hired Finn; about Poe’s wooing and its apparent success. Her listener laughs in all the right places and smiles throughout, reaching out to take Rey’s hand whenever Rey’s face becomes too sad. She radiates maternity and Rey finds herself immensely grateful.

She does her best not to mention Ben.

It’s when she mentions their miracle in November that a _look_ comes over the woman’s face. It looks like she’s trying not to laugh, but Rey can’t fathom why. She falters in her story and tilts her head, confused.

“Oh, don’t worry about me, dear.” The woman says, waving her concern away. “I’ve just had a thought.”

“What kind of thought?”

Amusement makes the woman’s eyes sparkle. Rey feels a surge of warmth course through her, gentling her confusion but not dulling it.

“Why don’t you keep telling your story?” The woman suggests. “And I’ll tell you once you’ve finished.”

Rey wants to argue, but finds herself complying instead. She keeps the rest of her story brief: the shop in December, preparations for the holidays. There are moments she lingers over, moments that make her guest’s face go soft.

“You have an open heart.” She says, once Rey has finished. “And your dedication to your friends is a strength like none I have seen. You seem to me a lovely young lady.”

“Thank you.” Rey says, ducking her head.

“I did sense something missing from your story, though,” The woman continues. Rey brings her head up and frowns, confused.

“Is there no one special in your life?”

There’s an electric pulse that shocks through her chest. Rey goes red and finds herself staring at the table again, her once-easy flow of words stolen away. She hears the woman chuckle and reddens further.

“There might be.” She admits to the tabletop. “Things are a bit…complicated.”

The woman’s hand reaches out and takes hers once again. “Tell me about it.” She instructs.

So Rey does.

It feels like she spends an eternity at that table, bearing her soul to a stranger. The woman’s chai is long gone by the time Rey runs out of words. Their hands remain tied together, a connecting point between them both.

“Your young man sounds like a good one.” The woman says, at last. “I wonder if he is what you deserve, but at least I can say that he is not completely hopeless.”

Despite herself, Rey laughs. “Not completely.” She agrees. “We’ll see where things go.”

The woman’s smile turns cryptic for a moment. She takes her hand from Rey’s and goes to her phone, grinning at whatever message waits for her there. Rey watches her tap out a response.

“You said you had something to tell me?” She says, once her guest has set her phone aside.

“I do.” The woman nods. “About your miracle in November. It’s interesting that someone should know how to get the money to your firm without being in direct contact with you. I’ve worked in such areas before; it’s not an easy task.”

Rey hadn’t given it much thought before. She thinks about it now and feels a brief flash of worry over her heart. “Whoever it is – you don’t think they’d take any money from the shop, would they?”

“Oh, no, I seriously doubt that.” The woman says. “No, dear. What I’m saying is that whoever saved you must be someone close to you.”

Rey takes a moment, then nods. “I mean, it makes sense. But none of us had enough to do anything like that. Who –”

“Not you, or Poe, Finn, or Maz, you mean.” The woman interrupts. “So ‘who’ is indeed the question.”

Rey narrows her eyes. “It wasn’t you, was it?”

The woman bursts into laughter. “No, it was not me. I didn’t know your shop existed until yesterday, dear.”

It feels like a backhanded compliment, and yet not. Rey ends up shrugging, too busy running through her list of acquaintances to give it much thought. BB might have done it, but she thinks they would have told her. There’s really no one who would have –

“You said you’ve known Ben since October.” The woman mused aloud. “When was it, dear, that you think he started courting you?”

The sheer wrongness of it makes Rey jolt. She feels all the blood rush from her face. “You’re joking. That can’t be right – he wouldn’t – no. You’ve got to be wrong.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because he _hated_ me!” Rey insists. “And he’s got an ego the size of the city! There’s no way he’d pay off the shop’s lease without telling me about it. He’d want to brag, at least, or hold it over my head, or something.”

To her great surprise, the woman laughs. “I’m not saying you’re wrong. But think of it this way: how would you have reacted, at the time, if he had told you he’d paid off your lease?”

“Badly.” Rey scowls. “I would’ve – I would’ve felt like he was trying to manipulate me into dating him, you know?”

The woman nods, but does not respond. Rey feels something click into place in her head.

“Holy shit.” She whispers, eyes wide. “It was him.”

The smile on the woman’s face is small, but it looks as though it contains the sun. It takes Rey a moment to get over her shock; it feels like her whole world’s been turned on its side. When she manages to recover, she looks at the woman with narrowed eyes. “Just how did you know about that?”

“Because I know Ben.” The woman shrugs. “Or, rather, I know parts of Ben. He thinks he’s changed so much over the years, but he really hasn’t.”

There’s a feeling building in Rey’s chest that’s something like suspicion and something like excitement; she can’t decide which is strong. “Who are you?” She demands.

The woman smiles again, and Rey’s awash with familiarity. “I’m Leia Organa-Solo.” The woman says. “I’m Ben’s mother.”

The world’s not just sideways anymore, it’s been ripped from beneath her feet. For a moment, Rey feels faint. Then there’s a hand on her shoulder. She looks up and sees Poe, hovering over her with a worried expression.

“You alright, little sister?”

She responds with something like a whimper and puts her head down on the table. She hears Poe say her name again before rounding on Leia, his voice growing tight. Leia’s own voice is calm as she explains what’s going on.

The world’s steadied out by the time Rey can raise her head again. When she does, she sees that Poe has pulled a chair up to the table and is listening, enraptured, to some story Leia is telling him

“Your family,” she says, uncaring about the interruption. “You’re all a secretive sort, aren’t you?” 

The look Leia gives her is far too innocent. “I can’t imagine what you’re talking about, dear.” Then, with the grace of a queen, she returns her attention to Poe.

Rey sets her head back down on the table and does her best not to think.

*

Leia meets Finn as well as Poe, and Maz, too. The older women get along almost at once, Leia a sympathetic ear as Maz relates all of the shenanigans of the morning. Rey rouses herself from her stupor long enough to defend herself before making her way back behind the counter. She watches the happy group with a smile on her face and tends to the patrons who make their way inside.

She’s in the middle of preparing an order when Leia appears at the counter. To her credit, the older woman has the grace to look sheepish.

“I didn’t mean to surprise you.” She says. “But I wanted the truth from you, and I thought you knowing who I was would tempt you to lie.”

“I wasn’t going to lie to you.” Rey grumbles. She thinks she hears Leia sigh. They stand in silence for a moment, the sound of the coffee machine the only noise between them.

“I haven’t properly spoken to my son in seven years.” Leia says, at last. “Then yesterday he calls me and tells me he wants to talk. He tells me about his work, yes, and about his dog, but most importantly, he tells me about a girl. Whenever he talks about this girl, he gets this look in his eye,” Leia pauses, as though trying to imitate it. She’s not succeeding, but Rey giggles, anyway.

“I wanted to meet the young woman who had brought my son back to me.” Leia says, at last. “So, while you have my apologies for startling you, you also have my immense thanks.”

Rey struggles for words for a moment, then reaches out. Leia takes her hand and squeezes, her smile starting a fire in Rey’s heart. “I don’t know how much I did,” Rey admits, holding up her other hand when Leia tries to interrupt. “But I’m glad that he’s come back to you, too.”

She thinks she sees a trace of tears in the older woman’s eyes, but none of them manage to fall. Leia leaves the shop shortly after that, waving goodbye to them all as she walks out onto the street. Rey doesn’t stop watching her until she’s long out of view.

Poe is at her side a moment later. “So,” he says, dragging out the word. “How do you feel, now that you’ve met the parent?”

She gives him a tremendous shove that sends him stumbling into the kitchen. He curses her and throws himself into his boyfriend’s arms, feigning distress over her cruelty. Rey ignores him in favor of looking at Finn, who’s been oddly quiet ever since he spoke with Leia.

The look he gives her is unshaking, bordering on intense. Then, with almost exaggerated movements, he nods.

The last weight eases from her chest. Rey takes a deep breath and feels dizzy. She turns on her heel and makes her way back to the counter, using the cool stone to keep herself upright.

The temptation to reach for her phone nags at her, but she resists. Leia had asked her not to tell Ben that she’d been here (more Organa-Solo secrecy, she thinks, with an eye roll), but that’s not the whole of it. She wants Ben to come to her; wants to see him standing in the doorway of her coffee shop without her prompting. She thinks he will, if everything his mother said is true. So she waits, patient in a way that is deeply calming.

She sends Poe and Finn home early, just in case she’s wrong – or, worse, in case she’s right.

***

Ben is a block away from Jakku Java. He’s been a block away for about fifteen minutes, trying to work up his nerve. It’s ridiculous, really, to be this nervous, but the last time he saw Rey in person, she’d been smiling in his kitchen without wearing any clothes. There’d been a few ups and downs since then. He’s not sure if he’s prepared to see her again – to actually see _her_ instead of just her name on his phone.

He takes a deep breath, then a tentative step forward. It’s the most he’s moved in a matter of minutes. Kylo Ren, from his place in the back of Ben’s mind, rolls his eyes.

It takes him ten more minutes to walk the final block to the coffee shop. He’s rather proud of himself when he sees its homey sign comes into view. That pride keeps him from turning tail and running.

The doorbell chimes as he moves inside. Rey is standing at the counter with her back to the front, her long hair tied back in her usual tri-bun. Ben stops for a moment and stares, drinking in the sight of her. Then she’s turning, and her hazel eyes meet his.

His heart stops. His knees go weak.

Her eyes are wide, but she’s smiling. “Ben?”

“Hey.” He clears his throat, trying to drive the breathlessness from his voice. “Hey.”

He takes a step closer to the counter, then another. Rey is practically leaning over it by the time he arrives. They linger in each other’s orbit, energy humming through their fingers as they spark off of one another: miniature suns in a midnight sky.

Rey moves first; she always does, and that’s important. Ben feels the world slot into place as she kisses him.

“We have a lot to talk about.” She says, when she pulls away.

“I know we do.” He says, chasing her lips. He catches her again and holds her longer, arms stretching past the counter to run down her arms. She sighs into his touch and he feels whole.

“I got fired.” He says, between one kiss and the next. “I’m applying to work with my mother’s nonprofits, instead.”

“I’ve met your mother.” Rey says, and that’s somehow both surprising and not. “She seems like a good boss. Much better than Walter Snoke.”

Ben wants to go still, but her lips don’t let him. “So you knew about that?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She whispers, before gently biting his lower lip. “You’re Ben, to me. You’re my Ben.”

There’s the sound of something crashing, but he’s not sure what it is. He’s moving over the counter like it’s not even there, joining her in the small space behind it to pull her close to him. They’re kissing like the world is going to end; he’s not sure if it already hasn’t.

A flickering thought in the back of his head wonders if the shop is empty. If not, they’re putting on one hell of a show.

He’s not inclined to let it stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XOXO


End file.
